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Philadelphia Latest To Feel Jeanne's Effects

Mobile Home Swept Away By Flooding

UPDATED: 10:14 am EDT September 29, 2004

The remnants of Hurricane Jeanne have caused major disruptions in Pennsylvania, including school closures due to hazardous roads. Flooding is widespread in the central and eastern parts of the state.

HURRICANE KATRINA

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In Philadelphia, authorities are still trying to identify the body of a woman who was swept away from a bus stop by high water and wedged under a parked truck.

Tuesday night, about 400 people were evacuated from an outbound commuter train because of fears the tracks were unstable. Floodwaters appeared to undermine the ground beneath the rails.

The storm left a foot of water on a major artery connecting Philadelphia to its western suburbs, forcing the closure of the eastbound lanes until early this morning. Traffic was stacked for miles in both directions last night and rescuers used boats to reach stranded motorists.

Parts of Philadelphia received more than 6 inches of rain.

Heavy rains washed away a southwest Virginia home Tuesday. The local sheriff said the victim was found downstream, after floodwaters swept the mobile home off its foundations.

South Carolina officials said two people have died as the remnants of Hurricane Jeanne passed through that state.

They said one man was killed when his car ran off a rain-slicked road and struck a utility pole. Another died after he was thrown from his mobile home by an apparent tornado. Officials said five homes were destroyed and three others were damaged in that storm.

In Georgia, heavy rain washed some coffins from the ground in a cemetery.

The weakened weather system has been dumping as much as 12 inches of rain as it moves through the Appalachians and mid-Atlantic states. Rivers have jumped their banks and some homes have been evacuated.

Forecasters are warning the storm could spawn more twisters as it moves to the north. Flood warnings are also in effect from Georgia to New York as forecasters say Jeanne could dump up to 5 inches of rain on some areas Tuesday.

Streams in Virginia are already overflowing their banks, and officials are warning of possible tornadoes there as well.

Many of these areas have already been saturated by past storms, which officials say increases the chances of flooding now.

President Wants $7 Billion In Storm Aid

President George W. Bush has asked Congress for more than $7 billion to help Florida and other Southeastern states recover from hurricane damage.

It was Bush's third request for supplemental storm aid.

Congress has already approved Bush's first request of $2 billion and is considering his second $3.1 billion proposal. That would bring the pricetag for all three hurricanes to $12.2 billion.

The government will have to borrow money to pay for the packages, adding to already huge federal deficits.

Cleanup is continuing in the storm's wake. Emergency management officials in some Georgia counties said initial damage estimates are three times as bad as those for Hurricane Frances.

Jeanne killed at least six people as it churned across Florida. The deaths include two people who apparently drowned when a sport utility vehicle plunged into a lake northwest of Fort Lauderdale. Another person was electrocuted in Miami after touching a downed power line.

Five people have been injured, one seriously, when a tornado touched down in South Carolina.

Fla. Officials Urge Extra Vigilance

Florida officials are urging citizens to take extra precautions as they begin cleaning up after Hurricane Jeanne.

They say the worst of the storm has passed, but that it's still dumping rain on some parts of the state. Flood warnings are in effect through Monday afternoon for parts of Florida saturated by past storms.

State officials say 2.6 million homes and businesses across 54 counties are without power. They say trucks loaded with water, ice and other supplies are on the way to the hardest-hit areas.

Officials also urge everyone to be careful when they see standing water or downed power lines.

Floridians Count Blessings Despite Storm 'Double Whammy'

Residents of the twice-stricken section of Florida called the Treasure Coast are treasuring their lives Monday morning, as they repeat the drill of dealing with disaster.

Many homeowners wrapping up repair work from Hurricane Frances earlier this month are back at square one -- gazing at damaged roofs, fractured fences and life without electricity.

Mobile home resident Bill Bailey is trying to keep a sense of humor, saying now that he's had a "double whammy" of storms, he's got hurricanes out of his system. Jensen Beach resident Vicky Westfall is counting on a close-knit street of neighbors to get by. Extension cords crisscross her street, where residents with generators are supplying power to keep refrigerators running.

Meanwhile, President George W. Bush has declared Florida a major disaster area.

A White House spokesman said the president's action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in 19 Florida counties. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the hurricane.

The storm piled on destruction in already ravaged areas. It sliced across the state with howling wind that rocketed debris from earlier storms and torrents of rain that turned streets into rivers.

Jeanne was a cruel rerun for many still trying to recover from earlier hurricanes, coming ashore with 120 mph winds in the same area hit three weeks ago by Hurricane Frances.

More than 1.5 million homes and businesses have been left without power. Many school and government offices caught in its path will be closed at least through Monday.

Gov. Jeb Bush sought to reassure weary Floridians.

"This does come to an end, and when it does we can probably use the term 'normal' again," the governor said.

Florida Relief Will Be FEMA's Largest Effort Ever

The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency said his agency is in the midst of its largest deployment ever, thanks to Jeanne and its three predecessors.

No state has faced four hurricanes in one season since 1886, when Texas was the target. FEMA chief Michael Brown said his agency has responded with the largest deployment in its history, eclipsing response for the 1994 California earthquake and the 2001 terrorist attacks. He said the hurricanes and their remnants have forced FEMA to deploy thousands of workers from Louisiana to Vermont.

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Georgians Brace For Heavy Rain, Tornadoes

Georgians are being told to be on the watch for tornadoes Monday as Tropical Storm Jeanne leaves Florida behind and moves north.

Much of the southern half of Georgia is under a tornado watch. Forecasters say the storm could also dump up to 8 inches of rain on parts of the state.

Georgia emergency officials are calling for voluntary evacuations in 20 counties, however it appears that few are heading the call. While the storm is likely to bring high winds and lots of rain some say the biggest threat lies in potential sewage spills.

So far there have been dozens of such incidents this hurricane season, spilling millions of gallons of sewage across the state. Those spills contaminate rivers and streams and may cause illnesses.


Video: Haiti Reeling From Jeanne's Floods
Images: Jeanne Hits Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic

Amid Storm's Devastation, Haitians Dress Up For Church

Despite still being mired in sludge and desperate for food and water, Haitians were polishing their shoes and beautifying themselves for church Sunday.

"We don't have anything, but we're doing our best," one woman said. "We have to be respectful and we have to thank God for saving us."

The skies over Haiti were sunny and bright, a blessing after thunderstorms Saturday drenched those who are living on sidewalks or on rooftops of flooded homes.

Haiti's interim prime minister said at least 1,500 people were killed by Jeanne, which ravaged the country's northwestern province last week. Nearly 1,300 people are missing. Many are thought to have washed out to sea or been buried in debris in still inaccessible areas. About 300,000 people are homeless.

Haiti's government is drawing up plans to move some of the homeless to a tent camp to allow a cleanup of neighborhoods coated with contaminated sludge and debris.

A boy was struck and killed by a truck delivering relief aid in Haiti, where crowds of hungry flood victims pressed against fences, increasingly desperate for help, in the wake of Jeanne.

The United Nations has sent reinforcements for peacekeepers trying to restore order. Aid groups are ready to send some goods, but are reluctant to send it now.

A spokesman said workers fear the supplies would be looted by the strongest.


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