4 Killed in Severe East Coast Storms

Virginia State Police said four people, including a 2-year-old boy, were killed after violent storms and tornadoes tore through the state and all the way up the East Coast on Wednesday. The boy and two men, ages 50 and 26, were killed when a reported tornado destroyed their mobile home; the body of another man who had been missing after a twister hit his residence was also found. Several people were trapped inside storm wreckage after a tornado hit the Tappahannock-Essex County area and left more than 20 people injured. Rescue teams were working to help those still trapped, NBC 12 reported. Gov. Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency and said he planned to visit damaged areas. The severe conditions were part of the same storm system that created about 30 tornadoes in the South on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. Near New York City, a Coast Guard vessel overturned early Thursday in rough waters caused by the storm after it was reportedly sent to help a distressed fishing boat in East Rockaway Inlet. The crew and rescued victims made it safely ashore without injuries. It’s not clear how far they had to swim.