At least five dead and 600,000 without power as storm hammers much of the US

At least five people died and hundreds of thousands were in the dark as storms covered much of the US on Tuesday.

Tornadoes swept across the midwest and south of the country, blizzards were felt in the northwest, and parts of the east of the country were threatened with flooding.

In the northeast of the country, New Jersey governor Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency and New York City officials evacuated nearly 2,000 migrants housed at a sprawling tent complex ahead of predicted wind speeds that could top 70mph.

In Maine, the governor Janet Mills delayed the opening of all state offices until noon Wednesday due to the stormy conditions.

The National Weather Service warned of possible major flooding in portions of Long Island in New York State with waves of up to almost three metres through Wednesday morning.

There was also a chance of major and minor flooding along streams and rivers throughout the three states, even though rain was expected to tail off.

Meanwhile, more than 600,000 energy customers in a contiguous path from the tip of Florida to the top of New York state were without power early Tuesday evening, according to utility tracker PowerOutage.us.

The wild weather came as portions of the northeast were still digging out from a storm that dumped more than a foot of snow in some areas over the weekend.

On Tuesday, the same weather system brought heavy rain, hail and at least three reported tornadoes to the south before moving eastward.

Rain and high winds extended into the nation’s capital Washington DC, forcing Vice-President Kamala Harris’ aircraft to divert from Joint Base Andrews to Dulles International Airport near Washington when it encountered wind shear, a sudden shift in wind direction or speed.

Near Cottonwood, in Alabama, 81-year-old Charlotte Paschal was killed when her mobile home was tossed from its foundation, the Houston County coroner said.

A suspected tornado had touched down in the area.

Police in Clayton County, south of Atlanta, said a man died during heavy rain when a tree fell on his car on a state road in Jonesboro.

More than 80 public school systems across Georgia called off classes entirely while others taught students online or delayed the start of in-person classes.

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In North Carolina, one person died and two others were in critical condition after a suspected tornado struck a mobile home park in the town of Claremont, north of Charlotte, said Amy McCauley, a spokesperson for Catawba County.

A possible tornado knocked down several old brick storefronts in downtown Bamberg, South Carolina, blocking the main intersection through the city about 60 miles south of Columbia.

Thousands of bricks blocked US 301, the main road through that part of the state, and about 40 homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed, said Justin Bamberg, the Democrat who represents the area in the House of Representatives.

In southeastern Wisconsin, an SUV driver died Tuesday in a head-on collision with a semi-trailer on a slushy, snowy state highway, the authorities said.

In western Michigan, a 35-year-old woman died after she lost control of her minivan on a slushy road and it collided with an SUV, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said.

Storm-related injuries were reported in Florida, but no deaths.

A section of Panama City Beach showed parts of roofs blown away, furniture, fences and debris strewn about, and a house that appeared tilted on its side, leaning on another home.