A massive storm system that began in the north-central United States brought heavy rains and strong winds to the mid-Atlantic region Thursday, killing at least four people and causing widespread power outages, flash flooding, and extensive travel delays. The storm arrived and departed quickly in the Washington area ahead of the evening rush hour, bringing high wind and thunder that knocked trees onto houses, cut power to thousands of homes and traffic signals, and led to the brief closure of a huge bridge east of the city that connects to the beaches of Maryland and Delaware. Three tornadoes were reported in Maryland, though there were no immediate reports they caused significant damage. In Richmond, Virginia, a young boy was killed by a falling tree. Lightning from a fast-moving storm likely sparked a fire that killed a man in western Pennsylvania, state officials said. And in central North Carolina, an elderly man was killed by a falling tree, and a firefighter was electrocuted after responding to a fire caused by a tree falling on power lines. About half a million homes and businesses in the mid-Atlantic region were still without power early Friday. Duke Energy Corporation, the biggest power company in the United States, was the hardest hit with more than 240,000 customers without electricity in North and South Carolina.
