Violent storms have left more than 3 million people without power across the eastern U.S. on a day when temperatures could top 100 degrees in some places.
Winds uprooted trees at the AT&T National golf tournament in Maryland, leading officials to take the rare step of closing the course to spectators and volunteers for safety reasons. However, play was expected to continue.
Elsewhere, residents focused on taking refuge from the heat and making do without electricity. "It feels like an oven," said 27-year-old Anne Marie Tropiano.
DEATHS
Authorities have confirmed at least 12 deaths related to the storms that swept across the eastern U.S. Deaths have been reported in Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C., New Jersey and Ohio.
POWER OUTAGES
About 418,000 were without power in Baltimore County; 1.25 million customers in Virginia, including the suburbs outside Washington; 443,000 in Washington, D.C.; 800,000 to 1 million in Ohio; 500,000 in West Virginia; and 170,000 in New Jersey.
HEAT
The National Weather Service warned temperatures could climb near or above 100 degrees on Saturday in many areas that already were without electricity. Thousands were without electricity in their homes and were seeking refuge in movie theaters, shopping malls, restaurants and official cooling centers. Forecasters warned that another round of storms was possible in the afternoon, which could complicate cleanup efforts.
