Storm Isaias pounds US East Coast, one killed in New York

Tropical storm Isaias pounded the U.S. eastern seaboard with driving rain and strong winds on Aug. 4, cutting power to millions of households and felling trees, including in New York.

At least one person was killed in New York City after a tree fell on their car, while another was critically injured by a falling branch, Mayor Bill de aBlasio said.

Wind gusts up to 50 mph (80 kph) wreaked havoc across eastern states, littering streets with debris, closing roads and forcing the cancellation of scores of flights.

 Public transport services were also briefly suspended including New York's famous Staten Island ferry.

In New Jersey, where Governor Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency ahead of Isaias's arrival, video footage showed a roof being torn off a house as residents were told to stay indoors amid a threat of tornadoes.

Isaias quickly moved up the East Coast after slamming into the coast of North Carolina overnight with hurricane strength before being downgraded to a tropical storm.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said there had been at least one death in the southern state and an unspecified number of people injured.

"Overall," Cooper told ABC, "the damage was not any ways as great as it could have been."     

"We have a lot of trees down," the governor said. "We have some storm surge flooding. We have about 355,000 people without power."    

New York authorities, ever wary of the devastating damage caused by Superstorm Sandy in 2012, set up temporary flood barriers in Lower Manhattan in case of storm surge.     

The orange flexible tubes known as "Tiger Dams" were put up in low-lying areas.

Officials had expected a possible storm surge of around one to two feet (0.3 to 0.6...