Tropical Storm Henri has landed. State of emergency in the USA – Foreign

Washington, August 22, 2021 – Henri transformed from a hurricane to a tropical storm but it is more and more frightening: it touched land on the northeastern coast of the USA at the height of the state of Rhode Island, in full emergency floods.

Casualties in Tennessee

The death toll of the floods affecting the state of Tennessee rises to at least 21, while the tropical storm Henri lashes the northeastern coast of the United States further north. Among those who lost their lives also some children. The number of missing is now at least 45 people. Rescue teams continue their searches among the destroyed houses in search of missing persons and the toll is destined to worsen.

Biden: We will do what we can

In speech to the nation on Afghanistan, the US president also spoke about the flood and storm emergency, assuring that everything possible will be done to deal with Henri: “We are closely monitoring the situation and we will make every effort to respond ” to emergencies, he explains. Even if Henri is not more classified as a hurricane but as a tropical storm “we take the situation very seriously, also because it is affecting an area of ​​the country that has already suffered a lot of rains and any floods could affect thousands of people.” Biden explained that after speaking with the administrators and the governors of the states concerned, approved “the state of emergency for Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York”.

State of emergency

The entire coast of the Northeast USA is on high alert with over 35 million people affected by the risk of flooding, especially in the area of ​​Boston, New York, Philadelphia and New Jersey. The risk of rain is at the 3 out of 4 level and floods are expected in many areas with the water level expected to reach up to 12-15 centimeters in height. Waves up to 6 meters high have been recorded off the coast of Long Island, with winds over 100 kilometers per hour. Over a thousand flights have been canceled so far, with the international airports of Newark and Boston Logan the hardest hit so far.