US storm leaves two dead and causes disruption to flights and power supply

Storms have hit the US (Image: Getty) At least two people are believe to have died as extreme weather conditions and storms swept across the eastern United States. Thousands of flights across the US had to be cancelled while the Associated Press reports 1.1 million homes were left without power. The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for the greater D.C. area, lasting throughout the day. A special Weather Service statement warned, ‘There is a significant threat for damaging and locally destructive hurricane-force winds, along with the potential for large hail and tornadoes, even strong tornadoes.’ The storms spread from 10 states with tornado warnings issued from Tennessee to New York. It is thought more than 29.5 million people were covered by the warnings. A   special Weather Service statement   warned, ‘There is a significant threat for damaging and locally destructive hurricane-force winds, along with the potential for large hail and tornadoes, even strong tornadoes.’ Storms battered the USA (Image: Getty) A 15-year-old boy in Anderson, South Caroline, was killed when a tree was struck by the storm. Anderson County Coroner’s Office said the boy was getting out a car at his grandparent’s house. Meanwhile in Florence, Alabama, a 28-year-old was struck by lightning and died. Flights were also disrupted across the States. At 6pm EST, there had been 6,000 flights cancelled or delayed, with Atlanta, Philadelphia, Charlotte, JFK and Newark all affected. The Federal Aviation Administration was attempting to re-route some flights around the storm. While the White House moved President Joe Biden ‘s departure on a four-day trip that’s taking him to Arizona, New Mexico and Utah forward by 90 minutes. Clouds over Washington DC (Image: Getty) ‘This does look to be one of the most impactful severe weather events across the Mid-Atlantic that we have had in some time,’ National Weather Service meteorologist Chris Strong said in a Facebook live briefing. Strong advised residents: ‘Have yourself in a strong shelter. Be at home or be at work.’ By early Monday there had been 1.1 million homes without power across Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia and Virginia. Trees and power lines were reportedly down across a number of states. Over the weekend there were around 280 severe storm reports, says the Daily Mail . And while the east has been battered by storms, the southern states – ranging from Florida to California – are expected to see dangerous levels of heat. The National Weather Service, said: “‘Numerous record high temperatures and record high morning minimum temperatures are likely over the next few days with no end in sight going into the later part of this week.” Heat warnings have been in place across the southern parts of the US for a number of weeks now. The weather service said they will “likely remain in effect ‘for the foreseeable future as there is no relief in sight to the heat for the remainder of the week across these areas.”