Hurricane Bill, the first storm of the 2009 hurricane season, swept up the US eastern seaboard on Sunday bringing high winds and heavy seas in its wake.

A 7-year-old girl was killed after being swept away by a huge wave on the coast of Maine. The child was with a group of people who had gathered in Arcadia National Park to watch the heavy seas from a clifftop. Other members of the group were rescued; most of them suffered minor injuries.
 

The storm also caused problems in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Flights and ferry services were cancelled and some roads were closed. High winds knocked over electricity masts and left around 30,000 homes without power. There are no reports of injuries.