Storms Spawn Blackouts, Flooding Across the U.S.

Strong thunderstorms brought flooding, tornadoes and electrical blackouts to widespread parts of the nation Saturday.

Authorities in Ohio opened floodgates to swollen Buckeye Lake to prevent the collapse of a leaking dam, but the released water poured onto part of an interstate highway and forced the closing of a section of the road in central Ohio.

An order that called for the evacuation of 4,000 people living in a village on the lake’s north shore was lifted late in the day, and residents who had left were returning home.

Gov. Richard F. Celeste declared a state of emergency in central Ohio because of fears that a break would develop in the leaking dam at Buckeye, about 20 miles east of Columbus.

The dam was saved when the floodgates were opened, but the water streamed across Interstate 70, forcing the closure of 11 miles of the heavily traveled road.

Buckeye Lake covers more than 3,000 acres in portions of three Ohio counties.

About 1,000 people staying nearby in flooded campgrounds at the National Hot Rod Assn.’s Springnationals in Kirkersville were evacuated and the event was postponed, officials said. Between 200 and 400 cars owned by campers were under water.

Severe thunderstorms accompanied by scattered flooding were reported in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Ohio, Maryland, West Virginia and Virginia as the band of unstable weather moved eastward, the National Weather Service said.

Some areas along the East Coast received as much as 2.5 inches of rain over a 24-hour period, while Orlando, Fla., was doused with 1.4 inches of rain.

In southwestern Pennsylvania, utility crews worked Saturday to restore electricity to hundreds of homes left without power because of heavy thunderstorms.

The thunderstorms crossed the state at about 50 m.p.h., weather service meteorologists in Pittsburgh said.

The weather service reported that two funnel clouds were seen in Westmoreland County, but neither touched down. The most serious damage was reported south of Harrisburg, where lightning caused several fires.

In Bethlehem, storms knocked out power to more than 45,000 people on Friday and Saturday.

A tornado watch was posted in eastern Colorado and flash flood watches were up for central and northwestern Arizona, the weather service said. Kansas was recovering from two nights of tornadoes.

Strong thunderstorms also were reported Saturday afternoon along a slow-moving cold front in the Texas Panhandle, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee and Mississippi.