Unrelenting Winter Storms in US Claim 50 Lives, Cause School Closures and Power Outages
Washington: Severe winter storms have wreaked havoc across the United States, resulting in at least 50 deaths related to the extreme weather conditions, as reported by officials and US media on Friday. Large portions of the country are now preparing for additional winter onslaughts.
Record-breaking freezing temperatures, heavy snowfall, and dangerous ice have led to fatal accidents on treacherous roads, disrupted air travel, forced school closures, and left thousands without power. With millions of Americans under new weather warnings, the situation remains dire.
Among the casualties, Tennessee confirmed 14 weather-related deaths, while five women tragically lost their lives in Pennsylvania when their vehicle collided with a tractor-trailer as they returned from a pilgrimage to Mecca. Kentucky reported five weather-related fatalities, and in Oregon, three individuals were electrocuted after a live power line fell on their parked car during an ice storm. The storm left 75,000 customers in Oregon without electricity, prompting the state’s governor to declare a state of emergency.
Additional deaths were reported in Illinois, Kansas, New Hampshire, New York, Wisconsin, and Washington state, where exposure is believed to have claimed the lives of five individuals, according to Seattle officials.
Blizzard conditions have ravaged various regions, including the Pacific Northwest, the Rocky Mountains, and parts of New England. Western New York, in particular, witnessed an astonishing 75 inches (1.9 meters) of snowfall within a five-day period near Buffalo this week.
Unusually low temperatures have also penetrated deep into the US South, an area unaccustomed to such harsh winter weather.
As the weekend approaches, several parts of the country are preparing for even more severe conditions. “Another Arctic blast will bring cold temperatures and dangerous wind chills to the Plains and the Mississippi Valley to the eastern US,” warned the National Weather Service on Friday.
The impact on air travel has been significant, with over 1,100 US flights cancelled and an additional 8,000 delayed on Friday, according to Flightaware.com.
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