Storm Isaias Leaves Trail of Death and Destruction

• According to authorities, three people were killed by falling trees in Connecticut, Maryland and New York City.
• Around 2.2 million homes and businesses were left without power after trees uprooted by the storm downed power lines.
• The governors of Connecticut and New York have declared states of emergency in order to get support from the local governments.

Storm Isaias, which hit North Carolina on Monday and Tuesday, left a trail of destruction, including death and heavy flooding. The storm battered the east coast with rain and fierce winds, making a landfall as a Category One hurricane in Ocean Isle Beach afterwards.

According to authorities, three people were killed by falling trees in Connecticut, Maryland and New York City. In Delaware, a woman aged 83 was found in a pond near her home under a tree branch.

Two people died after a tornado hit a mobile home park, another died after her vehicle was swept by water in Pennsylvania. Another was found dead in a house in New Hampshire. Before making the landfall, the storm is said to have claimed two lives in the Caribbean.

Officials in Pennsylvania revealed that four children were treated for minor injuries after a roof of a daycare was blown off.  On Wednesday the officials also confirmed that they had found the body of a five year old girl who went missing at the height of the storm.

Eliza Tala, who was autistic and nonverbal, is said to have left the house at around noon. The officials praised the first responders and community members for their great effort in searching for the girl. In Cecil County, Maryland, a day care was flooded, a situation that prompted a teacher to carry about 25 children to safety.

Residents were urged to evacuate after flood waters found their way to houses as several roofs were blown off by the fierce winds. In New Jersey, train services were suspended as the clearance and repair operations were ongoing. The storm also caused the suspension of the regional rail service in Philadelphia.

It is alleged that over 2,000 trees fell as an impact of the storm. The National Weather Service confirmed that New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, and Maryland experienced tornadoes brought about by storm Isaias.

Around 2.2 million homes and businesses were left without power after trees uprooted by the storm downed power lines. At least 150,000 residents lost power in Rhode Island while 634,000 customers in New York were without power as of Wednesday evening. More than 678,000 customers in Connecticut were affected, as well as 687,000 customers in New Jersey.

Meanwhile, the governors of Connecticut and New York have declared states of emergency in order to get support from the local governments. The two leaders have launched investigations into the electricity companies’ response to the damage caused by Storm Isaias, blaming the companies for failure to ensure a return to normalcy.

Connecticut’s governor, Ned Lamont, called on the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority to seriously look into the matter, while New York’s Andrew Cuomo called on the Department of Public service to launch an investigation into the companies’ responses.