Twisters return to America, killing 3

VIOLENT weather swept across America's eastern seaboard yesterday, bringing heavy rain that flooded towns from New England to Georgia, knocking out power and killing at least three people in the Atlanta area.

Intense thunderstorms stalled over central Vermont, pushing rivers over their banks and ripping up streets. About 200 people were forced from their homes.

Churning brown water from the rising Winooski River and a tributary flooded into the streets of Vermont's capital Montpelier, sending business owners with inundated basements scurrying to move merchandise to higher ground.

There was also flash-floods in northern New Hampshire, with some homes evacuated in the Littleton area and roads washed out.

In eastern Pennsylvania, a tornado that touched down in Schuylkill County was the second twister to hit the area last week, according to the National Weather Service.

Another tornado hit Franklin County in south-central Pennsylvania. The weather service said the twister had top winds of 90mph and travelled 200 yards, but no-one was injured.

A third twister hit Crawford County, bringing down trees and power lines and damaging about ten buildings north of Springboro.

In the western Pennsylvania town of Seward, winds toppled a circus tent, injuring five people, including three children.

In Georgia, two Decatur women were killed in Atlanta when a tree fell on a truck, police said.

Atlanta station WSB-TV reported that a 19-year-old man was killed in Mableton when a tree fell on him while he cleared debris from a driveway.

Power was knocked out to more than 200,000 people across Georgia, while high winds toppled trees and a flash flood warning was issued for parts of the Atlanta area.