Child at Summer Camp Among 5 Dead in East Coast Storms
The storms brought down trees and limbs, destroyed homes.
— -- Strong thunderstorms knocked down a tree at a summer camp in Maryland Tuesday, killing one child, one of five victims from a violent wave of East Coast storms.
The storm struck the River Valley Ranch camp in Millers, Maryland, at about 7 p.m., authorities said. At the time, more than 100 children ages 7 to 12 were attending an event at a hillside pavilion.
When the storm approached, the children were brought to a nearby shelter, camp executive director Jon Bisset wrote online.
"The storm came upon them in a very quick and severe manner before all the children reached the building," Bisset wrote.
The storm knocked down trees and limbs, injuring nine, Bisset wrote.
One of the children didn't survive. "Please pray for all of these children and their families," Bisset wrote.
Similar panic was reported in central New York, where four people died and for homes collapsed because of severe storms.
The deaths were reported in the community of Smithfield, Madison County, officials with the county sheriff’s office told ABC affiliate WSYR-TV.
The storm brought down numerous trees and utility lines, with damage also reported in the towns of Sullivan and Lennox.
The victims’ identities have not been released.
Madison County Sheriff Allen Riley said authorities were searching the rubble and interviewing neighbors Tuesday, looking for any additional victims.
“We got our search dogs out right now looking around,” he told WSYR-TV. “We’re just picking up parts of the house to see if anyone is underneath them.”
Authorities have scheduled a morning news conference to discuss the storm effects.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
