A massive winter storm, dubbed a bomb cyclone, swept from the US East Coast on Thursday, dumping snow along the coast and bringing strong winds that will usher in possibly record-breaking cold.

An unmanned commercial supply rocket bound for the International Space Station exploded moments after liftoff last night, with debris falling in flames over the launch site in eastern Virginia.

A MAJOR storm hit the mid-Atlantic and north-east US states with nearly 60 centimetres of windblown snow yesterday, nearing record levels as it blacked out thousands of customers and shut down air travel from Washington to Boston.

MORE THAN 75,000 residents and visitors were urged to evacuate the North Carolina coast yesterday as Hurricane Isabel weakened but remained a dangerous storm on a track toward land.

More than 75,000 people were urged to evacuate the coast of North Carolina today as Hurricane Isabel weakened but remained a dangerous storm on a track toward land.