Remains of Fred threaten mudslides

RALEIGH, N.C. — The remnant of Tropical Storm Fred blew into the northeastern U.S. on Wednesday, unleashing heavy rains and threatening to cause mudslides and flash floods in upstate New York after closing highways in the lower Appalachians. Dozens of people were rescued from flooded areas in North Carolina after downpours washed out bridges and swamped homes.

Unconfirmed tornadoes unleashed by the stormy weather already caused damage in places in Georgia and North Carolina on Tuesday as Fred moved north, well inland from the coastal areas that usually bear the brunt of tropical weather. One death was reported in Florida, where authorities said a driver hydroplaned and flipped into a ditch near Panama City.

About 37,000 customers were without power Wednesday in North Carolina and West Virginia, according to the utility tracker poweroutage.us. In North Carolina, where steady downpours swelled waterways and washed rocks and mud onto highways, multiple landslides temporarily closed several lanes on Interstate 40 and closed another highway Tuesday.

In the Caribbean, Grace became a hurricane after unleashing torrential rain on earthquake-damaged Haiti. Grace’s sustained winds grew to 75 mph Wednesday as it moved away from the Cayman Islands, and it was expected to strengthen before hitting Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula Thursday morning. A hurricane warning was in effect for the Yucatan from Cancun to Punta Herrero, including Cozumel.

Tropical Storm Henri, meanwhile, moved toward the northeastern U.S. coast, and forecasters said it’s now expected to become a hurricane by the weekend. The hurricane center warned that life-threatening ocean swells could affect East Coast beaches later this week.