WASHINGTON: A powerful storm swept across the eastern United States on Monday, unleashing heavy snowfall and freezing rain that claimed five lives and left millions facing travel chaos from the central plains to Washington, DC
About 350,000 people were without power in nine states, while more than 1,800 flights were canceled and thousands more were delayed, according to the monitoring sites Poweroutage.us and FlightAware.
The National Weather Service (NWS) predicted up to a foot of snow in Washington, where Congress was set to proceed with certifying Donald Trump’s election victory, four years after his supporters stormed the US Capitol to try to oust him . Loss 2020.
House Speaker Mike Johnson called for “full participation” in Congress regardless of the weather.
The capital’s colorful houses and usually green streets were covered in white on Monday as residents trudged through the snow and schools closed in a city that rarely faces such wintry conditions.
The storm moved east after bringing blizzard conditions to states like Kansas and Missouri.
Deadly conditions
At least five people have been killed so far in storm-related incidents.
The Missouri Highway Patrol reported one death when a truck slid into a pedestrian on snowy roads, while two were killed in a crash in Kansas, US media reported. Both incidents occurred on Sunday.
“The snow has turned to ice … bringing power outages and more dangerous road conditions. Transportation crews are working hard to clear roads for utility crews and emergency travel,” Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear warned, urging residents to stay home.
Videos showed cars skidding on icy highways and tractor trailers in Kansas.
A White House spokesman said President Joe Biden is closely monitoring the severe weather and stands ready to support affected states.
The NWS warned that the storms could also affect southeastern states, bringing hail and tornadoes, and that accumulations of thick ice — as well as widespread tree damage from high winds — could lead to extended power outages.
Temperatures are expected to drop below zero degrees Fahrenheit (minus 18 degrees Celsius) in places, while strong winds add to the dangers. The mercury could dip tens of degrees below seasonal norms on the US Gulf Coast.
Another major concern is freezing rain and sleet. The ice will make travel dangerous, bring down trees and down power lines, authorities warned.
Conditions could prove particularly dangerous in the Appalachian mountain region, where a deadly tornado in late September destroyed communities and devastated several southeastern states, including Kentucky.
The governors of Kentucky, Missouri, Virginia and Maryland declared states of emergency and used social media to warn residents to stay indoors.
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