Violent Storms Slash Across Southeast

Severe thunderstorms whipped the Southeast on Saturday, causing widespread flooding, power outages and a fire that destroyed a high school.

The storms produced heavy rain and prompted weather officials to issue flash flood watches throughout Georgia, Alabama and northern Florida. Hail was reported near Lillian, Ala., and Gainesville, Fla.

Lightning struck Snead High School, just south of the Alabama-Florida border, igniting a fire that burned most of the one-story building. No injuries were reported, officials said.

Thunderstorms off the coast of North Carolina spawned a tornado near Elizabeth City. The twister knocked out electricity for about 700 customers, but no injuries were reported.

Rain extended into New England, and thunderstorms were reported as far north as New Jersey. Rain also fell in parts of Ohio, Michigan, North Carolina, South Carolina, New York, Oregon and Pennsylvania.

Heavier rainfall included two inches at Apalachicola, Fla., more than 1 1/2 inches at Jacksonville, Fla., and Tallahassee, Fla., and 1 1/2 inches at Waycross, Ga.

Valdosta, Ga., was drenched with 4 1/2 inches of rain during a 12-hour period, local authorities said.

In Atlanta, two teen-agers swept more than a mile through a storm drain by floodwaters were rescued by firefighters Saturday after a frantic manhole-to-manhole search.

“I held no hope of them being alive,” said fire Battalion Chief R. E. Ellington.

Daniel Singleton, 19, and Mike Callahan, 17, both of Hapeville, Ga., had been sliding down a storm drain at the northeast tip of Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport when they were swept up in a rush of water. A friend who saw them disappear called for help and the search began.

Elsewhere, strong southerly winds prevailed across New England. Winds gusted to 58 m.p.h. at Boston, and gale warnings were in effect along the coasts of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Strong northerly winds ushered cold air into the central United States on Saturday. Snow fell over parts of Idaho, Kansas, Iowa, Illinois, Oregon, Michigan, Colorado and Utah.

Temperatures dipped below zero in parts of Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota.