Cyclone Isaias reaches Canada after killing at least 5 in US

• Posted on August 5, 2020August 5, 2020
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

At least five people have been killed as Tropical Storm Isaias swept through US states on the Atlantic Coast.

Two died when a tornado struck a mobile home park in North Carolina and at least three more were killed in New York, Delaware and Maryland.

Isaias has since moved into south-eastern Canada and been downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone.

The Canadian Hurricane Center has warned of heavy rainfall over southern Quebec.

The ninth named storm of the year, Isaias hit Puerto Rico, Haiti and the Dominican Republic with hurricane strength winds last week killing at least two people. It uprooted trees, destroyed crops and homes and caused flooding and landslides.

It was downgraded to a tropical storm after passing over the Caribbean, but was re-categorised as a category-one hurricane as it approached the Carolinas on Monday.

From North Carolina up to New York, Isaias left more than 3.4 million residents without power. It spawned tornadoes, uprooted trees, damaged homes and caused floods and fires.

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A tropical storm warning was issued for the north-east coast all the way to Maine, covering major cities like Washington, Philadelphia and New York.

Police in New York City said a tree fell and killed a man inside his vehicle in Queens. A driver in Maryland was also killed when a tree toppled on to the car in the storm.

-BBC