Flood forces 100,000 to evacuate in east US

Updated: 2011-09-09 06:48

(Xinhua)

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WASHINGTON - More than 100,000 people in the US east coast were ordered to evacuate on Thursday as torrential rains brought by the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee caused major flooding in the area.

In Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, 100,000 to 125,000 people were ordered to leave their homes because of the rising waters of the Susquehanna River, CNN quoted Emergency Management Coordinator Stephen Bekanich as saying.

New York state authorities also issued mandatory evacuations to approximately 10,000 residents, as waters of the Susquehanna and Chenango rivers have risen to dangerous levels.

Tropical Storm Lee impacted the oil concentrated Gulf Coast region last week and weakened Sunday. Remnants of the storm swamped the already-soggy US east coast Wednesday, leaving at least three people dead and triggering major flooding.

Several counties in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maryland and Virginia are under flash flood warning, according to the National Weather Service.

Some portions of the US east coast are still recovering from damages caused by Hurricane Irene. The powerful storm slammed the area late August with high wind, torrential rains, tidal waves and flooding, causing massive destruction to roads and houses while leaving 7 million customers without power.