Four dead, half a million homeless in a deadly storm across USA-Canada

At least four people have died and over half a million homes are without power after a series of powerful winter storms swept through parts of the eastern US and Canada.

Strong winds flipped cars and knocked over homes in Florida, where several tornadoes were reported.

More than 1,300 flights in or out of the US were cancelled on Tuesday, according to data from FlightAware.

Vice-President Kamala Harris’ plane had to be diverted due to weather. A spokesperson for Mrs. Harris said that “inclement weather” required her plane from Atlanta to land in Virginia rather than neighbouring Maryland on her way back to Washington DC.

As of Tuesday evening, more than 630,000 households in the eastern US, from Florida to New York State, were without electricity.

Twelve tornadoes were reported across Florida, Alabama, and Georgia by early Tuesday, causing significant damage and, in some areas, prompting search and rescue operations. More than 22 million people were under tornado watches.

In Houston County, Alabama, an 81-year-old woman was reportedly killed after a tornado ripped through the area, destroying mobile homes and RVs.

One person was killed and two others were critically injured in Claremont, North Carolina, officials said after a powerful storm moved through a mobile home park.

A motorist died in Clayton County, Georgia, officials said, after a tree fell across a highway and crushed the driver’s car.

A resident of Panama City, Florida, who lives across from a home that was toppled by the wind said, it sounded like a “freight train hitting a brick wall”. “That’s how loud it was,” he told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner.

The storms also left roadways impassable in Panama City, ripped roofs off of buildings, and brought hail the size of baseballs.

A curfew has been declared for the city’s downtown area until 06:00EST (11:00GMT) on Wednesday morning.

“No one should be moving around in this area after dark,” the Bay County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook.