U.S. floods: 16 die as east coast ravaged
29 Jun, 2006 04:05

Sixteen people are dead in the worst flooding to hit the United States east coast in decades.
Authorities in New Jersey , New York , Maryland and Pennsylvania have all declared a state of emergency. In Maryland , thousands have been evacuated and two youths are missing.People were forced to leave their homes in New York and New Jersey . In eastern Pennsylvania , up to 200,000 have been ordered to evacuate after a major river overflowed to record levels. Flooding was caused by several days of heavy rain, produced by a low-pressure system hovering off the eastern shore. Forecasters say more thunderstorms are possible along the coast for the rest of the week.