Storm Isaias travels up the US east coast and hits New York

Tropical storm Isaias moved up the Atlantic coast of the United States on Tuesday, depriving more than two million Americans of electricity, from North Carolina to New York.

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At 4:00 p.m. (8:00 p.m. GMT), Isaias swept over eastern Pennsylvania and southeastern New York State, with winds of up to 100 km / h, according to the US National Hurricane Center. (NHC). The depression was moving quickly. "High winds, heavy rain and the threat of tornadoes will move towards southern New England," the weather services warned.

More than 1.3 million people were without power at 4:00 p.m. Tuesday (8:00 p.m. GMT) in New Jersey and more than 500,000 people in New York state, according to poweroutage.us. "We see trees and branches ripped through the city" , "take this seriously. If you don't have to be outside, stay home , ” New York Mayor Bill de Blasio urged on Twitter. Ferry, train and some overhead areas of the city's metro have been closed.

Authorities had installed protective dikes in the lower Manhattan neighborhood in the morning in anticipation of a possible rise in water levels. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has declared a state of emergency in his state, also calling on residents to stay at home.

"At least one person" deceased

A tornado vigilance advisory for southern Pennsylvania - including the city of Philadelphia -, New Jersey, southeastern New York State including New York City, and southern Connecticut , have been issued. “Life-threatening urban flooding” can occur around Philadelphia, the agency also warned. The governor of North Carolina, where the Category 1 hurricane made landfall around 11:00 p.m. Monday evening (03:00 GMT Tuesday) with winds of up to 140 km / h, lamented the death of "at least one person" . "We've had a number of tornadoes," but "overall (...) the damage was not at all as severe as it could have been," he told ABC. Isaias should gradually lose intensity from Tuesday evening, as she approaches Canada, said the NHC.

Wearing a mask despite the storm

The inhabitants of the states on the southeastern coast of the United States are accustomed almost every summer to the passage of storms. This year, however, preparations for the arrival of Isaias were complicated by the imperatives of the coronavirus. The governor of North Carolina, one of the states facing a resurgence of the epidemic, had recommended that residents remember to wear a mask, carry disinfectant and maintain physical distancing despite the storm. He explained this Tuesday morning that a larger number of shelters had to be planned in order to allow social distancing inside them.

Read also: The United States foresees a 2020 hurricane season "above normal" in the Atlantic

Isaias first threatened Florida, one of the epicenters of the coronavirus epidemic in the United States, on Sunday. Covid-19 testing centers, many of which are housed in tents, had to be closed there. The authorities feared the devastating effect of the cumulative effect of this health crisis with the onset of the depression, but the “Sunshine State” was ultimately spared.

Faced with the threat, President Donald Trump announced that he had declared a state of emergency for Florida and the two Carolines in order to free up federal funds. Isaias was killed last week in the US territory of Puerto Rico, a 56-year-old woman whose vehicle was washed away. The depression has also wreaked measured havoc in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas.