WASHINGTON, Jan 10 (NNN-AGENCIES) — At least three people have died and nearly half a million homes are without power after a series of powerful winter storms swept through parts of the eastern US and Canada.
Over half of the US population, stretching from New Mexico to Maine, is under severe weather alerts.
Thousands of flights were cancelled or delayed as of Tuesday evening, according to data from FlightAware.
Officials have warned of more damage as the storms continue into the evening.
As of Tuesday evening, more than 500,000 households in the eastern US, from Florida to New York State were without electricity.
Dozens of counties in Florida have declared a state of emergency, where storms have blown roofs off homes and knocked down power lines.
Twelve tornadoes were reported across Florida, Alabama and Georgia by early Tuesday, causing significant damage and, in some areas, prompting search and rescue operations.
In Houston County, Alabama, an 81-year-old woman was reportedly killed after a tornado ripped through the area, destroying mobile homes and RVs.
One person was killed in Claremont, North Carolina, officials said, after a powerful storm moved through a mobile home park.
And one motorist has died in Clayton County, Georgia, officials said, after a tree fell across a highway and crushed the driver’s car.
The storms left roadways impassable in Panama City, Florida, and brought hail the size of baseballs.
The National Weather Service (NWS) warned that more powerful storms are in store for the region and elsewhere in the eastern US.
In New Jersey, a coastal flood advisory is in effect until Wednesday.
The state’s governor Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency and warned residents not to “underestimate” the storm.
In New York State, Governor Kathy Hochul warned the storm could be “life threatening”, especially as the expected rainfall would combine with the snow already blanketing the ground, bringing about potential flash-flooding.
In preparation for the storm, New York City has deployed emergency responders and utility crews, and has relocated nearly 2,000 migrants over safety concerns.
Travel has already been disrupted in parts of the country as a result of the storm, causing hundreds of flight cancellations and delays.
A ground stop was briefly issued at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport – one of the country’s busiest – due to excessive snow and ice, the FAA said.
Severe weather has also disrupted road travel in states like Nebraska and Kansas, where state patrol has responded to hundreds of weather-related incidents.
“Please stay home,” a Kansas state trooper wrote on social media. “It’s getting to the point where we will not be able to rescue you if you get stuck because we are having trouble getting around.”
The NWS said it expects the extreme weather to slightly ease going into Wednesday, though snow showers are still possible in some of the already affected areas in the central US and the northeast. — NNN-AGENCIES
