New York, Jan 18 (IANS): A winter storm hit the mid-Atlantic and northeast US, causing widespread travel disruption and knocking out power for more than 200,000 homes and businesses.

"From Georgia to parts of Canada, the effects of the storm, known as Winter Storm Izzy, were felt," Xinhua news agency quoted The Wall Street Journal as saying.

The National Weather Service (NWS) said that up to 20 inches of snow had fallen in parts of Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and South Carolina on Monday, with icy roads creating dangerous driving conditions.

Heavy rain and strong winds lashed other areas, with some coastal communities at risk of flooding as well as falling trees and power lines, it added.

Snow fell at a rate of more than 4 inches an hour in Buffalo, New York.

The impact on New York City was expected to be limited to severe thunderstorms, with gusts of up to 55 miles an hour.

More than 200,000 power customers were without power, with North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia hardest hit, according to poweroutage.us.

The governors of several states, including North Carolina and South Carolina, declared states of emergency, activating state resources to respond to the storm.