OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Severe weather over days has caused havoc and destruction across the U.S.
That includes torrential rains and flooding in the Upper Midwest and powerful storms in the Northeast that left a least two people dead from falling trees. The deadly storms that raked parts of the Northeast late Wednesday into early Thursday spun off tornadoes and initially left some 250,000 customers in the region without power. The National Weather Service confirmed that a tornado moved through parts of Rhode Island and Massachusetts on Wednesday evening, and in western Pennsylvania, the storms are believed to have spun off at least three tornadoes.
High winds of up to 70 mph (113 kph) brought down power lines and trees and damaged some homes and other structures in the area. No injuries were reported. The storms came on the heels of widespread flooding in parts of the Midwest after days of torrential rains soaked the area.
A 52-year-old man drowned in his Iowa basement after the foundation collapsed and debris pinned him down, the Des Moines Register reported Thursday. Flooding is attributed to at least two other deaths — one in Iowa and one in South Dakota — caused by driving near flooded areas. Much of the country has also been hit with a scorching heat wave as scientists have sounded the alarm that climate change is likely to bring more weather extremes.
Here is where weather events stand in the U.S. and what's expected in the coming days: Minnesota dam failure Heavy rain.
