Death toll rises in US north-east after sudden heavy rains and flooding

Deaths and damage spanned huge areas in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Maryland

Police were going door to door in search of more possible victims and drawing up lists of the missing in the US north-east on Friday, as the death toll rose to 49 across eight states in the region after the catastrophic flooding set off by the remnants of Hurricane Ida after it roared up from Gulf coast.

Ida struck Louisiana last Sunday, knocking out power to the city of New Orleans and causing deaths in that state and Mississippi.