Hurricane Bill downgraded after leaving 2 dead

The remnants of Hurricane Bill moved out into the Atlantic, forecasters said Monday, a day after the storm’s powerful winds churned up waves that were blamed in the deaths of at least two people on the East Coast.

At Acadia National Park, about 110 miles northeast of Portland, park officials said an estimated 10,000 people converged on the park’s loop road trying to get a good view of waves more than 15 feet high. A 7-year-old girl died after she was swept into the water.

“The problem was there were thousands and thousands of people to try to keep an eye on,” said Chief Ranger Stuart West.

The system still had tropical-storm strength winds near 70 mph early Monday. Its center was about 190 miles off the coast of Newfoundland and is moving east-northeast near 43 mph. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center predicted it would continue to weaken as it moves from the Canadian coast in the Atlantic.

The storm delayed or halted ferry services from New York to Maine, and kept many beaches closed.