A storm system that flattened homes across the Midwest slammed the Northeast on Tuesday with heavy rain and strong winds, knocking out power for hundreds of thousands, snarling transportation and overturning semi-trucks on interstates.
A 79-year-old man was killed in Poolesville, Maryland, when his vehicle struck a tree that had been blown over in the storm, according to Montgomery County police. No further information was immediately available late Tuesday, he said.
Seventy million Americans from the Ohio Valley to Maine faced 70 mph winds and 2-inch hail, as well as the possibility of tornadoes. Boston was under a tornado watch for the first time since 2012.
Six states from West Virginia to New Jersey were under severe thunderstorm watches Tuesday night, the National Weather Service said, with major airports in the region reporting significant delays.
About 770,000 customers across the region were without power at some point Tuesday evening, more than half of them in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, utilities in the states reported. Across the larger region, about 670,000 customers remained without power at 11 p.m. ET.
Power in parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania wasn't expected to be restored until after the Wednesday morning rush hour, canceling PATCO Speedline transit between Philadelphia and Camden County, New Jersey, PATCO said late Tuesday. New Jersey Transit said it would honor PATCO tickets but warned of delays up to an hour Wednesday morning.
Many regional rail lines were also halted during the evening rush hour, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority reported, and Amtrak suspended service between Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia for a time.
NBC Philadelphia: Car Flipped, Walls Damaged at New Jersey Mall
The winds were strong enough to overturn vehicles: In Chester County, Pennsylvania, a semi-truck was blown over on Interstate 95.
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