Winter storm in the US (illustrative)
Winter storm in the US (illustrative)Reuters

At least seven people, including two children, died over the weekend when Winter Storm Riley hit the US' East Coast.

The storm left nearly two and a half million homes and businesses without power.

In southern Virginia, a 44-year-old man was killed when a tree fell on the truck he was driving. In Chesterfield, a 6-year-old boy was killed when a tree fell on him as he slept in his bed. Similar incidents occurred near Baltimore and in New York.

A state of emergency was declared in Maryland, Virginia, and Massachusetts, and both Massachusetts and Pennsylvania activated the National Guard to assist after the storm passes.

According to CNN, 22 million people live in areas which may flood during the course of the storm.

Over 3,000 flights to and from Boston and New York were canceled, and over 4,000 were delayed.

In New York City, winds reached to 96 kilometers per hour (59.65 miles per hour), and six centimeters (2.36 inches) of precipitation fell.