Storms Batter Southern, Middle Atlantic Coasts

Nov. 12, 2009— -- Severe rain and strong winds battered the U.S. Atlantic shore as remnants of Tropical Storm Ida caused coastal flooding and high wind warnings from North Carolina to New York.

Off the coast of New Jersey, Coast Guard officials still are searching for three missing fishermen.

"We deployed the rescue swimmer. He did not find anyone in or around the life raft," said Coast Guard Lt. Joan Snaith.

Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine declared a state of emergency as flooding, downed trees and closed roads forced schools and businesses to close in some coastal areas.

"It's pretty bad, the worst I've seen in a long time," Kori Keys of Norfolk, Va. told ABC News. "I hope it dies down and we get out of here."

State officials warned that the combined force of the storms could produce some coastal flooding similar to the storm surge associated with a Category 1 hurricane. Residents in some coastal and flood-prone areas were advised to stay home in anticipation of up to 10 inches of rain for some regions.

In Virginia Beach, Va., residents were concerned about flooding in low-lying areas even as the city closed the flood gates.

The scene was similar in Norfolk, Va., where state officials said all low-lying areas, which typically flood, were flooded and expected to remain that way for several hours.

Paris Diaz, 13, experienced the devastation firsthand when a large tree fell on her house, forcing her and her grandmother to crawl out through a window.

"The whole house was shaking, was just shaking," she told ABC News.

In parts of the Virginia coast, traffic was crawling or at a standstill as rising water flooded vehicles.

The Virginia Department of Transportation urged motorists to plan ahead and use caution before traveling, especially in the southern and coastal areas of the state.

Megan Miller of Norfolk told ABC News she was unable to get out of her driveway and that she was surprised by the speed at which the storm came through.

"That high tide is pushing all that water into tributaries," Miller said. "It looks a bit more like an ocean today."

Winds and rain also caused power outages in several areas. More than 90,000 Virginia residents have lost power since Wednesday.

Ida crossed the southern shore of the United States, as well as the Gulf Coast, weakening from a hurricane to a tropical storm when it came ashore in the Middle Atlantic Tuesday. But the storm since has strengthened and today engulfed large parts of the region.

Winds gusted up to 50 mph and, in some areas, were expected to reach 60 mph.