Debby finally moves out of the US, though some flooding risk and power outages remain

The sun came out but the power stayed off in more than 100,000 homes and businesses across four states Saturday as Debby finally moved out of the U.S.

After first arriving in Florida as a hurricane, the storm spent the better part of a week unleashing tornadoes and flooding, damaging homes and taking lives as it moved up the East Coast.

Though the skies cleared, a flood warning remained in effect until Saturday night in a small part of northern New York where up to 7 inches (18 centimeters) of rain fell. The National Weather Service said water there was receding slowly, and many roads remained flooded.

Nearly 170,000 customers in Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont had no electricity Saturday afternoon, according to PowerOutage.us, and some utilities said restoration could take days. More than half the outages were in Ohio, where Debby-related storms including tornadoes blew through the northeastern part of the state on Wednesday.

Debby’s last day over the U.S. before moving over Canada inundated south-central New York and north-central Pennsylvania with rain Friday, prompting evacuations and rescues by helicopter. The post-tropical cyclone continued dropping rain on New England and southern Quebec on Friday night, though conditions improved the following morning as the system continued moving northeast.

Some of the worst flash flooding in New York happened in villages and hamlets in a largely rural area south of the Finger Lakes.

In Steuben County, which borders Pennsylvania, officials ordered the evacuation of the towns of Jasper, Woodhull and part of Addison, and said people were trapped as floodwaters made multiple roads impassable. The recovery effort was underway Saturday morning, as emergency workers cleared debris and helped residents pump floodwater from their basements.

Officials in Tioga County in north-central Pennsylvania said a search and rescue operation was going on for one person unaccounted for in the Knoxville area after flooding that prompted dozens of rescues.

Fire Chief William Goltz of Crary Hose Co. in Westfield said 30 to 50 water rescues were conducted using boats aided by two helicopters, and those rescued included some firefighters who became trapped while trying to help others.

Officials said about 100 people were displaced and several shelters opened, but by midday Saturday only 14 remained in one shelter. They urged people to document damage before beginning cleanup and to send them any images of the flooding.

The weather service confirmed that an EF-1 tornado touched down in Pennsylvania’s capital city early Friday. Forecasters said the tornado, with peak winds estimated at 105 mph (169 kph), touched down just after 4:30 a.m. in Harrisburg and traveled north for almost 3 ½ miles (5.6 kilometers), blowing off a set of overhead doors at a warehouse and causing roof damage to a church and roof and structural damage to several homes, as well as uprooting dozens of trees.

Debby was downgraded to a tropical depression Thursday afternoon and was a post-tropical cyclone on Friday, the National Hurricane Center said. It made landfall early Monday on the Gulf Coast of Florida as a Category 1 hurricane, emerged over the Atlantic Ocean and hit land a second time early Thursday in South Carolina as a tropical storm.

There have been at least nine deaths related to Debby, mostly in vehicle accidents or from fallen trees.

In Vermont, Gov. Phil Scott had warned that Debby’s remnants could cause serious damage, including in already drenched places that were hit by flash flooding twice last month, but a flood watch was called off by mid-evening.

About 19,000 Vermont homes and businesses remained without power Saturday afternoon, down from more than 44,000 the previous day. Officials said wind gusts of more than 60 mph (97 kph) tore down massive trees in some places where the ground remained saturated from previous storms.

“There is widespread, extensive damage in many locations,” said Mike Burke, vice president of operations at Green Mountain Power. “The repeated storms we are experiencing in Vermont are not just heartbreaking, they are happening more frequently and they doing more damage like this.”

Associated Press journalists Carolyn Thompson in Buffalo, New York; Lisa Rathke in Barre, Vermont; Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina; Susan Haigh in Norwich, Connecticut; Holly Ramer in Concord, New Hampshire; and Ron Todt in Philadelphia contributed to this report.

A woman with an umbrella sits on a bench in New York, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

Connie Mullen of Canisteo, N.Y., looks out over the heavily damaged Moss Van Wie dairy farm, owned by her brother, Cliff Moss, in Canisteo, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

People walk past One World Trade Center are reflected in a puddle in New York, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

A mobile home swept from its foundation is seen lodged about 1,000 feet away from the property where it stood near a bridge on the Canisteo River, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Canisteo, N.Y., after remnants of Tropical Storm Debby swept through the area. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

Eric Combs, Maverick Knight and Michelle Knight paddle away as they traverse high water along Canisteo River Road in Canisteo, N.Y., Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, after remnants of Tropical Storm Debby swept through the area. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

Debris on a farm property is destroyed in Canisteo, N.Y., Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, after remnants of Tropical Storm Debby swept through the area. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

Ann Farkas stands near the waterway that flooded her home in Canisteo, N.Y. Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, after remnants of Tropical Storm Debby swept through the area, creating flash flood conditions in some areas. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

Ann Farkas walks in her flood-damaged home in Canisteo, N.Y., Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, after remnants of Tropical Storm Debby swept through the area, creating flash flood conditions in some areas. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

A person wears flip flops as they ride their bike through a puddle in Ottawa, Ontario, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)

Three female mallard ducks paddle across a flooded street after heavy rainfall from Tropical Storm Debby in Frederick, Md. on Friday, Aug. 8, 2024. (Ric Dugan/The Frederick News-Post via AP)

Flooding from Tropical Storm Debby covers the street near the City Dock in Annapolis, Md., on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024 (Kaitlin Newman/The Baltimore Banner via AP)

A man walks to work in the flooded streets of downtown Baltimore on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024 (Kaitlin Newman/The Baltimore Banner via AP)

People are seen near an uprooted tree in Harrisburg, Pa., after extreme weather from Tropical storm Debby, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (Sean Simmers/The Patriot-News via AP)

A tree service worker walks past an uprooted tree on Adrian Street in Harrisburg, Pa., after extreme weather from Tropical storm Debby, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (Sean Simmers/The Patriot-News via AP)

A vehicle is covered by a tree in Harrisburg, Pa., after extreme weather from Tropical storm Debby, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (Sean Simmers/The Patriot-News via AP)

Will Sizemore kayaks in a flooded area near the City Dock in Annapolis, Md., on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (Kaitlin Newman/The Baltimore Banner via AP)

Children survey damage on Adrian Street in Harrisburg, Pa., after extreme weather from Tropical storm Debby, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (Sean Simmers/The Patriot-News via AP)

Ann Farkas, left, works with her daughter Alex Farkas and family friend Damian Hartman as they clean up the Farkas home in Canisteo, N.Y., Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, after remnants of Tropical Storm Debby swept through the area, creating flash flood conditions in some areas. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

The Winooski River, swollen from precipitation from Tropical Storm Debby, is seen Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Plainfield, Vt. (AP Photo/Lisa Rathke)

Kari Lynch pick up trash from flood waters near the City Dock in Annapolis, Md., on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (Kaitlin Newman/The Baltimore Banner via AP)

Lily Gensler goes for a paddle in Fells Point in Baltimore as the remnants of Hurricane Debby pass through Maryland, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (Kaitlin Newman/The Baltimore Banner via AP)

Ann Farkas walks in her flood-damaged home in Canisteo, N.Y., Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, after remnants of Tropical Storm Debby swept through the area, creating flash flood conditions in some areas. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

Ann Farkas walks in her flood-damaged home in Canisteo, N.Y., Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, after remnants of Tropical Storm Debby swept through the area, creating flash flood conditions in some areas. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

Eric Combs, Maverick Knight and Michelle Knight paddle away as they traverse high water along Canisteo River Road in Canisteo, N.Y., Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, after remnants of Tropical Storm Debby swept through the area. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

People walk through Times Square in New York, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

Debris from a building is seen along Route 36 in Canisteo, N.Y., Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, after remnants of Tropical Storm Debby swept through the area. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanese health authorities reported that at least three people were killed and more than a dozen others wounded in an Israeli strike on Beirut on Friday, the first such Israeli attack on the Lebanese capital in months.

The Israeli strike came after Hezbollah pounded northern Israel with rockets and the region awaited the revenge promised by the militant group’s leader Hassan Nasrallah for this week’s mass bombing attack on pagers and walkie-talkies belonging to Hezbollah members.

The target of Israel’s airstrike in Beirut’s crowded southern suburbs during rush hour, as people were leaving their work and students heading home from school, wasn't immediately clear. Lebanon's Health Ministry didn't elaborate on the identities of the victims.

Lebanese news stations broadcast footage of wounded people being pulled from the ruins of a flattened building as ambulances rushed to the scene of the strike.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

BEIRUT (AP) — Israel hit a Beirut suburb with an airstrike Friday, not long after Hezbollah pounded northern Israel with 140 rockets following a vow by the militant group’s leader Hassan Nasrallah to retaliate against Israel for a mass bombing attack, the Israeli military and the militant group said.

The Israeli military said it had carried out a “targeted strike” in Beirut. It offered no further immediate details, but explosions could be heard coming from the city’s southern suburbs.

Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen TV reported that a drone fired several missiles on the heavily-populated area known as Dahiyeh.

A Hezbollah official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak to the media, confirmed to The Associated Press that an airstrike struck the area, without giving further details.

The strike came after Hezbollah pounded Israel with 140 rockets, which the Israeli military said came in three waves targeting sites along the ravaged border with Lebanon.

Following the attacks, the Israeli military said that it had struck areas across southern Lebanon targeting Hezbollah infrastructure, but didn’t provide details of damage.

Hezbollah said that its attacks had targeted several sites along the border with Katyusha rockets, including multiple air defense bases as well as the headquarters of an Israeli armored brigade they said they’d struck for the first time.

The Israeli military said that 120 missiles were launched at areas of the Golan Heights, Safed and the Upper Galilee, some of which were intercepted. Fire crews were working to extinguish blazes caused by pieces of debris that fell to the ground in several areas, the military said.

The military didn’t say whether any missiles had hit targets or caused any casualties.

Another 20 missiles were shot at the areas of Meron and Netua, and most fell in open areas, the military said, adding that no injuries were reported.

Hezbollah said that the rockets were in retaliation for Israeli strikes on villages and homes in southern Lebanon, not two days of attacks widely blamed on Israel that set off explosives in thousands of Hezbollah pagers and walkie-talkies.

On Thursday, Israel said its military had struck “hundreds of rocket launcher barrels” in southern Lebanon, saying that they “were ready to be used in the immediate future to fire toward Israeli territory”

The army also ordered residents in parts of the Golan Heights and northern Israel to avoid public gatherings, minimize movements and stay close to shelters in anticipation of the rocket fire that eventually came Friday.

Hezbollah and Israel have exchanged near-daily fire since Oct. 8, a day after the Israel-Hamas war’s opening salvo, but Friday’s rocket barrages were heavier than normal.

Nasrallah on Thursday vowed to keep up daily strikes on Israel despite this week’s deadly sabotage of its members’ communication devices, which he described as a “severe blow.”

At least 20 were killed in the attacks and thousands were wounded when pagers, walkie-talkies and other devices exploded in Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The sophisticated attacks have heightened fears that the cross-border exchanges of fire will escalate into all-out war. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement in the attacks.

In recent days, Israel has moved a powerful fighting force up to the northern border, officials have escalated their rhetoric, and the country’s security Cabinet has designated the return of tens of thousands of displaced residents to their homes in northern Israel an official war goal.

Fighting in Gaza has slowed, but casualties continue to rise.

Overnight, Palestinian authorities said that 15 people were killed in multiple Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip.

Those included six people, including an unknown number of children, in an airstrike early Friday morning in Gaza City that hit a family home, Gaza’s Civil Defense said. Another person was killed in Gaza City when a strike hit a group of people on a street.

Israel maintains that it only targets militants, and accuses Hamas and other armed groups of endangering civilians by operating in residential areas. The military, which rarely comments on individual strikes, had no immediate comment.

Gaza’s Health Ministry says that more than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed in the territory since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. The ministry doesn’t differentiate between fighters and civilians in its count, but says a little over half of those killed were women and children.

Israel says it has killed more than 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.

More than 95,000 people have also been wounded in Gaza since Oct. 7, the Health Ministry said.

The war has caused vast destruction and displaced about 90% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million.

Ambulances arrive at the scene of an Israeli missile strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

People stand on top of a damaged car at the scene of a missile strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

People and rescuers gather at the scene of an Israeli missile strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

People gather near a damaged building at the scene of an Israeli missile strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

People gather at the scene of an Israeli missile strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

People gather at the scene of an Israeli missile strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept a rocket fired from Lebanon, in northern Israel, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)