Flooding and power cuts are widespread across the east coast of America tonight as the death toll resulting from the effects of hurricane Isabel has risen to 17 people.
The areas most badly affected are in North Carolina and Virginia, where the eye of the storm first came ashore, but parts of Delaware and Maryland also suffered.
Hurricane Isabel was blamed for at least 17 deaths - nine in Virginia, threein North Carolina, two in Maryland and one each in Pennsylvania, New Jersey andRhode Island.
The worst of the flooding was seen in the Chesapeake Bay area, which sufferedan 8ft storm surge at the height of the tempest.
Some 400 people were rescued in the Baltimore area after tidal flooding leftthem stranded. The water level reached the second floor of some buildings.
Some homes were flattened by the devastating winds."We just got totalled," said Brooks Stalnaker, 72, whose home in inlandHarlowe collapsed.
Power company workers were attempting to restore electricity to 4.5 millionhomes and businesses, but they warned the task could take days as lines havebeen knocked down.
President George Bush declared major disasters in North Carolina and Virginia,ordering federal aid to both states.
The governors of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey andDelaware declared state emergencies.
Along the coast many people were warned to boil drinking water and to be onthe lookout for live electricity cables which have been toppled.
Fallen trees, power lines, sand and debris made many roads impassable.An electricity engineer was electrocuted in North Carolina as he tried torestore power, and a man in Virginia drowned while canoeing.
Most of the other storm-related deaths were from falling trees or caraccidents.
But despite the trail of destruction, many Americans were thankful that theywere not blasted by the 160mph winds which Isabel threatened before she hitland.
Isabel was not as deadly or as costly as hurricane Floyd which killed 56people in 1999.
Washington remained virtually closed down for a second day, prompting somevisitors to the capital to accuse city officials of "overkill".
Offices, monuments and subway tunnels were shut down and the federalgovernment remained closed.
Officials said they were exercising "an abundance of caution" in taking thedecision.
But as the storm passed with minimal affect on the capital, tourist Sandra deDubovay said: "I think it's a little overkill.
"Some people only have a day here. It is frustrating," said Ms de Dubovay,from Los Angeles.
But a spokesman said tour operators would offer free alternatives to Britonswho had journeys disrupted because of the weather.
Hundreds of British passengers were left stranded at airports on Thursday asBritish Airways, Bmi and Virgin Atlantic cancelled a number of flights.
The weather system, now downgraded to a tropical storm with 35mph winds, is expected to dissipate over Canada by Sunday.
PA