Eight killed as storms batter US

Residents used boats to paddle through some flooded towns

Powerful spring storms battering the eastern US have claimed at least eight lives and caused widespread flooding and damage to property.

A state of emergency has been declared in West Virginia and New Jersey, while 3,200 National Guards were deployed in the worst-hit areas of New York.

High winds and up to 46cm (18in) of snow closed some airports and forced hundreds more flights to be cancelled.

The storm is thought to be the worst of its kind since December 1992.

One person died when one of three tornadoes to hit South Carolina destroyed dozens of mobile homes.

Two other people died in car accidents in New York and Connecticut, and five more are believed to have been killed by storms in Texas and Kansas on Friday.

In West Virginia, hundreds of people were rescued from submerged homes and vehicles, and others were evacuated from an area close to a dam amid fears that torrential rain had destabilised the structure.