Strong storm prompts East Coast power outages

A strong storm packing hurricane-force winds pummeled the northeast early Monday morning, downing trees and leaving about 700,000 customers without power. Utility companies said the outages in some areas could take several days to repair. Hundreds of schools remained closed due to the power outages and some flash flooding. Forecasters recorded wind gusts of up to 130 mph in New Hampshire. The storm raked over Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York on Sunday, leaving a trail of damage that snarled the Monday morning commute. The storm struck on the fifth anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, which did more than $71 billion in damage along the East Coast in 2012.