Storm Loses Hurricane Status; More Flooding in East

Tropical Storm Lili veered away from the mid-Atlantic coast Saturday, its hurricane status a memory, but the remnants of two other storms created floodwaters from the Carolinas to Pennsylvania before disintegrating.

The National Weather Service reported that Lili, which had once carried 92 m.p.h. wind gusts, dropped to tropical storm status Saturday as it began turning toward the north.

A tropical storm warning remained in effect for the extreme southern coast of Virginia, with a tropical storm watch over the remainder of the Virginia coast. A tropical storm watch, with a coastal flood watch and heavy surf advisory, also was posted for the Delaware and Maryland coasts.

As of Saturday afternoon, the storm was about 175 miles east of Cape Hatteras, N. C., and was moving north at about 14 m.p.h. Its peak winds of 65 m.p.h. extended up to 115 miles eastward, but it was expected to turn northeast and pick up speed as peak winds diminished.

Weather officials said small craft from Hatteras to Eastport, Me., should remain in port.

The strong winds combined with glass-smooth waters to produce ideal conditions for windsurfers who flocked to Pamlico Sound, which lies between North Carolina’s Outer Banks and the mainland.

Rain from two tropical storms that weakened and fell apart after hitting land caused some problems Saturday along the East Coast, where nine people were killed earlier in the week.

A major flood was working its way down the Ogeechee River in east-central Georgia, the weather service reported. The level of the upper Ogeechee River was six feet above flood stage, the highest level since the 1940s.

Heavy rains caused flooding over portions of northwest Virginia, western Maryland and eastern West Virginia. Many rivers and streams were overflowing their banks, and numerous roads were closed.

A small-stream flood watch remained over northeast Pennsylvania, and flood watches also were posted over portions of New York state and northern Vermont.

The remains of Tropical Storm Marco--which earlier absorbed remnants of Tropical Storm Klaus--were moving northward through the Carolinas, but the weather service said it had broken into a multitude of minor storms and was no longer trackable.

In the Carolinas, six deaths were attributed to the storms. Two were traffic fatalities and four were the result of a collapsed dam, officials said. Georgia authorities reported three deaths from flooding near Augusta.

Elsewhere Saturday, it was windy in the West with winds gusting to 57 m.p.h. near Pocatello, Ida., and 58 m.p.h. at Laramie, Wyo.

Snow fell in the Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming, and the town of Spruce Lodge reported two inches of new snow.

It was 84 degrees in Cape Hatteras, breaking the record high of 83 degrees set in 1986. It was the seventh record high tied or broken during the past week.