9 reportedly dead in Northeast flooding By ROGER PETTERSON, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 11 minutes ago


Storms swept into the Northeast on Wednesday, forcing thousands of people from their homes, including more than 2,200 who fled from a rising Maryland lake. A section of interstate highway was washed out in New York state and at least nine deaths were blamed on the stormy weather. Three people were missing.

The highway washout in New York reportedly killed two, while the weather was blamed for one traffic death in Pennsylvania and one in Maryland. A 15-year-old boy drowned in a lake in Pennsylvania's Luzerne County and his mother's boyfriend drowned trying to rescue him, police said.

Three young adults died in western Maryland when they were washed out of the bed of a pickup; they had just been rescued from their car, which had stalled in high water late Tuesday, authorities said. But then the rescuers' pickup got stuck in rushing water, which swept the three away, said Frederick County fire and rescue services spokesman Michael Dmuchowski.

Elsewhere in Maryland, a search resumed Wednesday for two youths, ages 14 and 15, who were reported missing near a swollen creek at Keymar, said state police 1st Sgt. Russell Newell. Searchers found a bicycle and clothing near the creek.

Teams in Virginia searched for an 8-year-old girl swept away by high water in Alleghany County.

After days of heavy rain and floods, the sun was shining in Washington, D.C. as the storm moved into New York and New England. Rivers were still rising in Virginia after four days of downpours and highways across the region were blocked by flooding and washouts.

"We don't have anywhere to go," evacuee Mehader Mekonne said Wednesday at a shelter in Montgomery County, Md.

The largest numbers of evacuations were ordered in an area surrounding Lake Needwood on the north side of Rockville, Md., which was approaching 25 feet above normal Wednesday, Montgomery County officials said.

Engineers found weakened spots on the lake's earthen dam, with water seeping through in places, said Bruce Romer, the county's chief administrative officer. Engineers were inspecting the dam Wednesday to determine what could be done to strengthen it.

By Wednesday morning, police and rescue crews had evacuated residents of 500 apartments and 700 homes, Romer said. About 100 people refused to leave, he said. If the dam were to break, it could flood some areas as much as 20 feet, officials said.

New York state emergency officials said a section of Interstate 88 was washed out about 35 miles northeast of Binghamton, which was the site of the fatalities. State police reported that two bridges on the highway "are down."

Ten New York counties declared states of emergency, and Gov. George Pataki activated the National Guard for evacuation support and engineering, according to the state's Emergency Management Office. Hundreds of people were evacuated from homes in the Binghamton area because of flooding on the Susquehanna and other rivers, along with residents of scattered areas in the eastern part of the state.

Along with I-88, Interstate 81 also was closed in the Binghamton area. The city got a record 4.05 inches of rain Tuesday, the National Weather Service said.

Interstate 81 also was closed at Lenox in northeastern Pennsylvania, where the small towns of New Milford and Lanesboro were evacuated, state police said.

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell declared a disaster emergency in 46 of the state's 67 counties Wednesday.

Officials in Alexandria, Va., urged residents and businesses to prepare for high water on the Potomac River, and states of emergency were declared Tuesday for Sussex County, Del., and the District of Columbia. The Virginia Department of Transportation said more than 200 roads ware closed by high water.

Along the Delaware River, Trenton, N.J., Mayor Douglas H. Palmer ordered residents to evacuate low-lying neighborhoods to evacuate.

"Unfortunately, our county residents along the river are becoming all too experienced at this," said David Gallant, public safety director for Warren County in northwestern New Jersey.

Residents also had been evacuated from low-lying communities in parts of Virginia, where volunteers stacked at least 5,000 pounds of sandbags to protect the town of Buchanan from the James River, expected to crest at 9 feet above flood stage.

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Associated Press writers David Dishneau, Stephen Manning and Kasey Jones in Maryland; William Kates in New York state; Michael Rubinkam in Pennsylvania; Chris Newmarker in New Jersey, and Marty Niland and Derrill Holly in Washington contributed to this report.



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