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Six Dead as Tropical Storm Zeta Moves Through Southeastern US

VOA News

   Tropical Storm Zeta left six people dead and a trail of destruction in
   its wake as it brought high winds and heavy rain from the U.S. Gulf
   Coast across the mid-Atlantic states.

   In its latest report, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said Zeta was
   on the Virginia-North Carolina border with sustained winds of 85 kph
   (53 mph) and was swiftly moving to the northeast.

   Zeta made landfall as a powerful Category 2 hurricane in Louisiana on
   the U.S. Gulf Coast.

   Will Arute, who lives New Orleans, said it sounded like a bomb went off
   when part of a large oak snapped outside his home and crashed into his
   car and a corner of his home, The Associated Press reported.

   "I did not anticipate this to happen. It was pretty intense along the
   eye wall when it went through here," he said.

   Northern Virginia and Washington were expected to get 2 to 7
   centimeters (about 1 to 3 inches) of rain.

   Earlier, Zeta made a nearly direct hit on the city of New Orleans,
   Louisiana, but was also felt farther east in Atlanta, Georgia. It was a
   very strong Category 2 storm with maximum winds of about 175 kph (109
   mph).

   At least six deaths have been attributed to the storm. Four people died
   in Alabama and Georgia when trees fell on homes, the AP reported. Two
   of the dead were pinned to their bed when a tree crashed through their
   home, according to Gwinnett County, Georgia, fire officials.

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