Hurricane Irene leads to 16 deaths

Hurricane Irene has led to the deaths of at least 16 people in five states as of Sunday evening:

— A Pitt County man was found dead in his home after winds toppled a tree onto the house. Pitt County spokeswoman Kiara Jones said Ayden police found the victim as they checked on residents after the storm passed. She did not release his name or age.

— A mother in Sampson County died Saturday morning when a tree fell on a car carrying her and two family members.

— In Nash County, a man was killed after a tree limb fell on him outside his home Saturday morning as outer bands from the storm brought near hurricane-force gusts inland.

— Goldsboro police say a 15-year-old girl died Saturday afternoon after the SUV carrying her and family members collided with another SUV at N.C. Highway 581 and Interstate 795. The victim and other family members were thrown from their SUV, and occupants of both vehicles were taken to the hospital. The girl's family was returning to northern Virginia from a vacation in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Irene had knocked out power to traffic lights at the intersection, and Goldsboro police said the wreck likely would not have happened had the lights been working.

— A man in Pitt County drove through standing water, went off a road and died after striking a tree on Saturday.

— Gov. Bev Perdue also attributed a death in Onslow County to the hurricane, but details weren't released.

— Rescuers found the body of Melton Robinson Jr. Sunday in the Northeast Cape Fear River. Robinson had been missing since Friday night when he was last seen on a boat ramp. The New Hanover County Sheriff's Office has not confirmed whether it was storm-related. They are awaiting the autopsy results.

— In Prospect, one person was killed in a fire that Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said was apparently caused by wires knocked down by the storm.

— In Volusia County, 55-year-old Frederick Fernandez died Saturday off New Smyrna Beach after he was tossed off his board by massive waves caused by Irene. The Orlando Sentinel reports the high school teacher had a large cut on his head, apparently from hitting the sea floor.

— In Flagler County, 55-year-old tourist James Palmer of New Jersey died Saturday in rough surf. Family members say they lost sight of him after he waded into the surf in North Florida. He was pulled to shore and his wife attempted CPR, but he was pronounced dead at the hospital.

— In Queen Anne's County, a woman was killed when a tree fell on a house and caused the chimney to collapse. Another person in the house was not hurt.

— A woman who had called police early Sunday for help getting out of her flooded car in Salem County was found dead in the vehicle hours later. 

— A 58-year-old Harrisburg man was killed Sunday morning when a tree toppled onto his tent, state police said. The man was one of about 20 people at a party on private property in East Hanover Township, Dauphin County, some of whom who decided to sleep outside.

— Newport News authorities report that 11-year-old Zahir Robinson was killed when a large tree crashed through his apartment shortly after noon.

— In Brunswick County, a tree fell across a car Saturday afternoon, killing 67-year-old James Blackwell of Brodnax. The driver was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

— Chesterfield County police say a man died at a Hopewell hospital Saturday after a tree fell on a house that he was in.

— A King William County man killed when a tree fell on him as he was cutting another tree on Saturday night.