USA: A powerful winter storm swept across much of the United States, bringing heavy snow, sleet, freezing rain and bitter Arctic cold that left more than one million homes and businesses without power across eight Southern states.
Winter storm warnings covered much of the eastern third of the country, affecting around 118 million people, while an estimated 157 million Americans were urged to prepare for dangerous cold stretching from the Canadian border to the Gulf of Mexico. Wind chills plunged as low as – 45 °C (minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit) in parts of the northern Plains.
Some regions recorded a foot of snow or more, including areas of Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. In the South, freezing rain coated roads, trees and power lines with thick ice, causing widespread outages. At the peak, more than one million customers from Texas to the Carolinas lost electricity. By late 25 January, over 847,000 customers were still without power, with Tennessee the hardest hit.
Air travel was severely disrupted, with more than 11,000 US flights cancelled in a single day. Several major airports, including Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, were effectively shut down, while airports in New York, Philadelphia and Charlotte saw most flights grounded.
Federal emergency disaster declarations were approved in at least 12 states, and 17 states plus Washington, DC, declared weather emergencies. Energy authorities issued emergency orders to help prevent further blackouts as the cold strained power supplies.
Although the main storm system was expected to move offshore, more Arctic air was forecast to follow, prolonging icy conditions and recovery efforts in the days ahead.
Source: Reuters
