Fifteen dead in US storm

Isabel has weakened but is still packing a punch

At least 15 people have died and millions have been left without power after storm force winds wrought havoc across north-east United States.

Although the winds from Hurricane Isabel have eased, the National Hurricane Center in Miami says they still pose a threat, not least because of the size of the storm - equivalent in area to Italy - and the flooding it is causing.

At their height, winds of up to 150 km/h (90 mph) uprooted trees and ripped off roofs, causing damage put at half a billion dollars.

Meteorologists expect Isabel to head across Virginia, passing the US capital, before moving through Pennsylvania and petering out over Canada by Sunday.

Seven people died in Virginia, four in vehicle accidents and three from falling trees, according to the Department for Emergency Management in Virginia. One tree fell on a mobile home.

HURRICANE ISABEL States of emergency in eight states 300,000 people evacuated More than 1m homes without power $500m damage In pictures: Isabel hits land In the path of the storm

The lower part of historic Old Town Alexandria, just south of Washington, was under four feet (1.2 metres) of water and a dozen highways were closed due to storm damage.

The storm killed a utility repairman in North Carolina who was trying to restore power in coastal Carteret County.

And in addition to the deaths in Virginia, four traffic deaths were blamed on the storm in North Carolina, Maryland and Pennsylvania.

Ghost-town

In Washington, federal government offices, the public transport system, monuments and museums remained closed for a second day because of the storm.

President Bush, who has left Washington for the safety of his Camp David retreat in nearby Maryland, has declared parts of Virginia and North Carolina major disaster zones.

Isabel is heading in a north-westerly direction at about 30 km/h (20mph), the National Hurricane Center in Miami reported.

The Washington Post newspaper said 700,000 people in the Washington area had lost power supplies, while branches and power lines lie strewn across roads.

Click here to see a map of Isabel's path

Some tourists were surprised that monuments and museums in the capital were closed on Thursday hours ahead of the storm.

"I think it's a little overkill," said Sandra de Dubovay, who was visiting from the Los Angeles area.

"Some people only have a day here. It is frustrating," she told Associated Press.

As the savage winds battered homes and businesses on the eastern seaboard, thousands of flights were cancelled and all three airports in the Washington area were shut down.

People are taking no chances ... and most of the lower-lying areas have been evacuated Chris Parmenter, US Hurricane Isabel: Your experiences

Forecasters had warned that winds of 115 km/h (70 mp/h) could strike Washington and whip up 1.85-metre (six-foot) waves on the Potomac River.

It is still too early accurately to assess the full impact of Isabel, he says, but it may not have been quite as devastating as many had feared.

Floods danger

In the beach resort of Kitty Hawk in North Carolina, Fred Gentry described how the hurricane tore down his house.

"The wall literally just split in half horizontally, it just caved in, taking the furniture with it," Mr Gentry told the AFP news agency.

At one point the storm was a rare maximum Category Five hurricane.

The biggest danger is from flooding, as the winds dump heavy rain on soil already saturated from a wetter than normal summer.

The US Geological Survey has warned of the dangers of landslides in West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New York, the Associated Press reported.

The last major storm to hit the area in 1999, Hurricane Floyd, caused damage put at $4.5bn.

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