Heavy snowstorm causes traffic chaos and flight cancellations – Hundreds of people trapped in their cars
A severe blizzard sweeping across much of the US has killed at least 17 people, cut power in the polar cold, caused traffic chaos and flight cancellations.
About 530,000 households remained without power Saturday afternoon (local time, early Sunday Greek time) — compared to 1.5 million twelve hours earlier — mainly in North Carolina, Tennessee and Maine, according to the specialist website Poweroutage .us. All three states saw temperatures below freezing.
The National Weather Service (NWS) warned that the cold was a deadly risk and urged Americans in areas affected by the blizzard to seek warmth indoors. On Friday, polar temperatures were recorded with lows reaching -48°C, according to the same source.
“The winds are so strong… it’s crazy!” 34-year-old Ali Lawson, who has lived in Buffalo, New York, for eight years, told AFP. “Last night we couldn’t see beyond our porch,” he said, adding that snowplows can’t go out to clear the streets. Luckily for her, she still has electricity unlike many other residents.
Hundreds of people remained trapped in their cars, according to Mark Polonkarz, an Erie County official. As he said, the intervention of the National Guard was requested for their release.
So far, at least 17 deaths have been confirmed in eight US states due to the extreme weather conditions.
More than 5,500 flights were canceled on Friday and another 2,800 on Saturday, according to specialist website Flightaware.com. Many travelers were hoping for a miracle to find a seat, even at the last minute, on a plane or train in order to catch their loved ones’ Christmas dinner.
In almost every city, from Denver to Chicago, shelters have been opened to accommodate those in need of warmth and protection from the danger of hypothermia.
Cold temperatures will continue today and return to seasonally normal levels by the middle of next week, forecasters forecast.
Canada is also on alert. Hundreds of thousands of people are without power in Ontario and Quebec, while flight cancellations and delays are reported at airports in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal.
RES-EMP
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With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
