Ida’s downpours swamp Mid-Atlantic coast

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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Relentless rain drenched much of the Atlantic seaboard Thursday, pelting communities from North Carolina northward with gusty winds and heavy rains, inundating streets, stranding drivers and causing three deaths in hard-hit Virginia and one in North Carolina.

The downpours were the continuing aftermath of late-season Tropical Storm Ida, which quickly weakened once it made landfall on the U.S. Gulf Coast on Tuesday but still soaked a swath from Alabama to Georgia.

In Virginia, Gov. Timothy Kaine declared a state of emergency and officials urged people in some areas to stay home. Rain and resulting floods were predicted to continue at least through Friday, especially along the state’s southeastern coast.

Mari Rosadson, who works at the front desk of the Marriott Waterside in downtown Norfolk, said she and her friend encountered standing water during a commute that took twice as long as usual.

“We made it through fine, thank God,” she said.

Three motorists died in weather-related crashes in central and eastern Virginia, said Corrine Geller, state police spokeswoman.

Some motorists were rescued from their cars after getting stuck in high water, said Bob Spieldenner, Virginia Department of Emergency Management spokesman.

Flooding closed several area streets, bridges and a major tunnel as winds worsened high tides that were already 6 to 7 feet above normal.

“Each high tide is going to be worse, because the water’s going to keep building,” Spieldenner.

In western Virginia, officials reported flooded streets and some people being pulled out of low-lying areas. The Roanoke River also was expected to flood Thursday.

Dominion Power reported more than 32,400 customers without electricity in Virginia and North Carolina, with more than 26,850 of them in southeast Virginia. Most Hampton Roads schools and universities canceled classes, and many businesses closed for the day.

The Port of Hampton Roads closed Thursday afternoon. The Norfolk Naval Station and all other area Navy installations, Langley Air Force Base and Fort Eustis trimmed operations down to essential personnel, officials at the bases said.

Meanwhile, Coast Guard officials continued searching for three commercial fishermen whose boat sank in churning seas off the coast of New Jersey. There were no serious problems elsewhere in the state, though emergency management officials were bracing for tidal flooding along the shore.

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