Northeast Is Awash in Allison

A week after causing $2 billion in damage in Houston, the remnants of Tropical Storm Allison flooded homes in southeastern Pennsylvania and blacked out thousands of electrical customers.

Four deaths were linked to the storm in Pennsylvania, authorities said Sunday, pushing the total blamed on Allison to at least 43.

“I never seen anything like this in my entire life. You only see this on the news,” Madeline Smith said as she picked her way through twisted metal and other debris left in her yard when Pennypack Creek rose out of its banks. She and boyfriend Ken Edwards were rescued from chest-deep water rushing past their home Saturday by holding onto a rope pulled by firefighters.

The rain tapered off Sunday in Pennsylvania, which got up to 9 inches, as the storm moved through New Jersey and New York into New England and out to sea. Parts of New Jersey got more than 5 inches of rain, flooding roads.

Firefighters on Saturday rescued about 30 residents from the flooded Village Green apartments in Horsham, 16 miles north of Philadelphia. One building in the complex was struck by a natural gas explosion and fire, and the rising water prevented firefighters from battling the flames.

“We lost everything. We just about lost our lives,” Genevieve Meyers said. “I was scared half to death.”

On Sunday, four bodies were found in the complex’s most heavily damaged building, where the fire occurred, said Upper Moreland Police Chief William Moffett. At least two people were still unaccounted for, he said.

The storm also flailed Massachusetts on Sunday. Dozens of traffic accidents were blamed on the storm and lightning sparked several house fires.

Some flights at Logan International Airport in Boston were delayed more than four hours, and nearly 200 flights had been canceled as of Sunday evening, Massachusetts Port Authority spokesman Phil Orlandella said.

“Drive a stake in Allison’s heart, quick,” said Peter Judge, spokesman for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. “This thing’s been around for nine, 10 days. This looks like the end of it.”