Several people killed after major snow storms sweep through the US
Widespread snow, sleet and freezing rain have impacted nearly 180 million people across the United States, with hundreds of flights cancelled and left several people dead.
After sweeping through the south, the storm dumped about one to two feet of snow from Washington through New York and Boston and left inches of ice in other areas.
Several people have died, and millions are still without power as areas grapple with freezing temperatures after the snow and ice fell.
National Weather Service meteorologist Brian Hurley warned: ‘The dangers aren’t over even with the precipitation ending. A lot of the areas that are still getting the heavy ice, freezing rain, sleet and snow, will stay below freezing through the work week.
‘We worry about people having cold weather exposure with no power.’
So far, 8 inches of snow has been reported in Arkansas, 11 inches in Illinois and Ohio, 13 inches in Indiana, 8 inches in Kansas, 12 inches in Missouri, 7 inches in Oklahoma, 6 inches in Texas and 5 inches in Tennessee.
In Louisiana, two men died from hypothermia in Caddo Parish, according to the Louisiana Department of Public Health.
There are concerns that the number of dead could increase as freezing temperatures are set to linger for days to come.
The mercury could drop to bitingly cold temperatures -so low that frostbite could set in within 10 minutes.
US President Donald Trump said his administration is working with local officials, adding that ‘FEMA is fully prepared to respond’.
The cold weather has also forced Mardi Gras parades, an annual celebration before Ash Wednesday, across Louisiana to be cancelled or rescheduled.
Nearly 10,300 flights were cancelled on Sunday, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware.
Aviation analytics firm Cirium said that as of Sunday morning, the storm is the highest experienced cancellation event since the pandemic.
Dozens of state governors have urged residents to stay indoors over fears the weather could become more turbulent over the next few days.
The weather agency described temperatures as ‘dangerously cold’ as the storm weather warning is expected to remain in place for a few days.
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