A tornado-spewing storm system that killed at least 45 people across half the US unleashed its worst fury on North Carolina, where residents mourned the dead, marvelled at their survival and began to clean up devastated neighbourhoods.

A snow storm on the US East Coast has caused several hundred motorists to become stranded in the western part of Virginia state, officials said today.

Three tornados ripped through Virginia, with one leaving behind a 25-mile trail of gutted homes, tossed cars and more than 200 injured residents.

Three tornados ripped through Virginia, with one leaving behind a 25-mile trail of gutted homes, tossed cars and more than 200 injured residents.

ERNESTO weakened to a tropical depression as it ploughed northward over land yesterday, but it still had the punch to lash Virginia with 6 inches of rain, flooding highways, forcing evacuations and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of people.