ISAIAS LASHES US EAST COAST WITH WINDS, RAINS

Myrtle Beach, Aug. 4 : Hurricane Isaias slammed into North Carolina bringing lifethreatening storm surges and leaving more than 3,50,000 homes without power, as the US eastern seaboard battened down for flash floods and destructive winds.

Packing sustained winds of 85 miles per hour (around 140 kilometers per hour), the Category 1 hurricane made landfall in the southern part of the state on Monday just before midnight (0400 GMT), the National Hurricane Center said.

Seawater flowed into streets on the border between the Carolinas, leaving locals to wade through the flooded areas as rain and strong winds whipped the palm trees.

Three hours after reaching the coast, Isaias was downgraded to a Tropical Storm, the National, Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Tuesday. It is forecast to track northeast, with gusts reaching hurricane force on the mid-Atlantic coast Tuesday, which the NHC said could down trees and cause more blackouts. — AFP