Hundreds evacuated form North Carolina to New Hampshire due to rains

Hundreds of people were forced to evacuate after drenching rain washed out roads and flooded homes in states from North Carolina to New Hampshire. At least three deaths were blamed on the storm.

New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch declared a state of emergency Sunday and called in 500 National Guard members to assist in flood relief. Transportation Commissioner Carol Murray said police and highway crews blocked damaged roads before dawn, Houston Chronicle reports.

The most severe flooding in New Hampshire was in Keene, where some major roads were under as much as 4 to 6 feet of water. Keene Fire Chief Gary Lamoureaux estimated 30 to 40 percent of the downtown area was under water. About 500 people were evacuated.

In Stoddard, residents were also told to leave. Houses washed into rivers, dams were breached and bridges in several communities were washed out.

"I looked out my window and all I could see — straight down — was water, right up against the building," said Sean Weeks, 19, who was awakened by firefighters around 3:30 a.m. and told to evacuate.

At least one person was killed in Unity, N.H., when a car went off a washed-out bridge.

In Pennsylvania, a person died after a car struck a guardrail and flipped into a creek. A car accident in New Jersey killed a 2-year-old boy.

T.E.