ATLANTA – A swath of severe weather moved across a storm-weary South on Monday, killing at least two, downing trees and cutting power to thousands of homes.
The storm system that hit Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and northern Florida brought torrential rain, flooding, hail and gusty winds to states still reeling from strong storms and tornadoes last week. And the states braced for more rain expected later Monday.
An 18-year-old was killed in Etowah, Tenn., on Monday when a tree fell on his family's home as he slept. A second person was killed in Atlanta after a tree fell on their car. Names of the victims were not immediately released.
Many areas that were spared from Monday's rain and hail were hit with high winds that blew over trees weakened by several days of soaking rain.
"The ground is so wet that the root system is loose, so it doesn't take a lot to blow the trees over," said Nate Mayes, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, Ga.
High winds on the Tennessee River in northern Alabama blew the roof off covered boat slips at the Guntersville Yacht Club, causing floating docks to pull apart and blow onto U.S. 431, said Anita McBurnett, emergency management director for Marshall County.
No one was injured, but four people who live on big sailboats and yachts stored at the marina had to be rescued after their vessels blew into the river during the storm, McBurnett said.
"It's right on the heels of the tornado on Friday, so we've really got our hands full," she said.
Florida emergency crews trying to work on flood recovery and damage assessment Monday in the northern part of the state were halted by the severe weather as high winds, hail and lightning threatened workers. Officials were worried about further flooding to areas damaged by a series of storms three weeks ago that caused river swelling throughout Florida's Panhandle.
U.S. Highway 90 remained closed for a sixth day at the Suwannee River about 65 miles east of Tallahassee. The flooding claimed two lives in late March in the Panhandle's Okaloosa County, and a third person — an elderly man — was still missing after he was swept away by flood waters.
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