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Storms and floods pound North America

Floods hit US northwest
Authorities declared states of emergency in the northwestern US states of Washington and Oregon after a major storm killed two people and unleashed widespread flooding, local officials said. Catapulted by the Pacific Ocean, the storm struck both states on Monday with wind gusts of more than 150 kilometers (93 miles) per hour, downing power lines and trees up and down the coast. The governors of both states declared states of emergency to release federal relief funds, including assistance from the National Guard. Snowstorms made several mountain roads impassable, while rivers and streams overflowed their banks forcing hundreds of people to evacuate their homes. In the Chehalis region of southwestern Washington, more than 130 people were rescued by Coast Guard helicopters and taken to safety, said Coast Guard spokesman Tara Moller. The main highway linking Portland, Oregon, to Seattle, Washington, was cut off by three meters (10 feet) of water from the overflowing Chehalis River, said Washington Transport Department spokeswoman Alissa Bateman. Two people were killed by the storm in Washington, one by a fallen tree and the other when a power outage shut down a medical apparatus.
by Staff Writers
Montreal (AFP) Dec 3, 2007
Major storms pounded North America's Atlantic and Pacific coasts Monday, grounding flights, forcing schools to close and creating dangerous road conditions that have left at least 10 people dead.

Snow forced severe flight delays at major airports in Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal, while children stayed home as hundreds of schools closed in eastern Canada.

Nearly all flights were cancelled or delayed at the international airport of Montreal, where 24 centimeters (9.5 inches) fell overnight.

Up to 35 centimeters of snow fell in parts of Canada's eastern provinces of Ontario and Quebec, where police reported one person was killed in a weather-related, head-on collision on a rural road.

In Canada's easternmost Newfoundland and Labrador province, a blizzard whipped up 110 kilometers (68 miles) per hour winds and dumped 30 centimeters (12 inches) of snow, downing power lines and causing major blackouts in the region.

The storm lashed the US Midwest over the weekend before striking the northeastern United States and Canada.

Slick and icy roads caused traffic pileups and accidents across the United States, leaving four people dead in Michigan, three in Wisconsin, one in Indiana and another in New Jersey, according to local newspapers.

The Pacific northwest was also pounded by a major early winter storm.

The state of Washington took a beating from a wintry mix of powerful winds, heavy rain and massive snow fall, all resulting in mudslides, flooding and avalanches, the US National Weather Service said.

"You name it, we have it," NWS meteorologist Brad Colman told AFP.

Hurricane-force winds of up to 120 kilometers (75 miles) per hour, with gusts of 135 kph (85 mph), were recorded off the Washington coast, while at least one river flooded with more expected to overflow, Colman said.

Sixty centimeters to one meter (two to three feet) of snow fell in the Cascades mountain range, triggering avalanches that forced one major state road to shut down, he said.

Heavy rain also caused major traffic woes with water rising up to 1.2 meters (four feet). "It has been a traffic nightmare," Colman said, adding that no injuries were reported.

The NWS issued flood and heavy snow warnings for parts of Oregon and Washington state. Snow warnings were also in effect in Idaho and parts of Montana.

Powerful winds and heavy rains also pounded Canada's Pacific coast city of Vancouver, while Alberta province was hit by a polar cold.

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Storms pound North America on both coasts
Montreal (AFP) Dec 3, 2007
Major storms pounded North America's Atlantic and Pacific coasts Monday, grounding flights, forcing schools to close and creating dangerous road conditions that have left at least nine people dead.







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