US floodwaters begin to recede

The Susquehanna River and its tributaries in Pennsylvania and New York are receding from some of the highest floodwaters ever seen.

The water level in hard-hit Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was down more than six feet early today from its crest of 42.7 feet on Thursday night. About 70,000 residents in nearby communities remained under a mandatory evacuation.

Farther south, in waterlogged northern Virginia, the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee on the heels of Hurricane Irene a week and a half earlier closed roads and a commuter rail line.

In Maryland, the Susquehanna reached a 15-year high of 32.4 feet Friday at the Conowingo Dam and was expected to remain near that level into the night

At least 15 deaths have been blamed on Lee and its aftermath.