A massive winter storm, stretching 3,200 kilometers from Texas to Maine, has brought extreme snowfall and dangerously low temperatures to much of the United States. States of emergency have been declared in New York, New Jersey, and the District of Columbia, as forecasters predict up to 45 cm of snow, which could paralyze major cities over the weekend. Newsweek reports this, writes UNN.
Details
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser has officially requested assistance from the National Guard for snow removal operations, as the city prepares for one of the heaviest snowfalls in years. Guard units, which were deployed in the capital in August by order of President Donald Trump, will now shift their focus to supporting utility services.
Meanwhile, New York Governor Kathy Hochul urged residents to avoid travel, as the "extremely large and powerful" storm threatens widespread power outages and transportation disruptions.
The phenomenon of "frost quakes" in Chicago
In the Midwest, particularly in Chicago, temperatures are expected to drop to critical levels, which could trigger a rare phenomenon – cryoseisms, or "frost quakes." AccuWeather meteorologist Adam Doughty explains that due to the instantaneous freezing of groundwater, water expands so rapidly that it causes sudden cracks in the ground, accompanied by loud sounds similar to explosions or earth tremors. Residents have been warned not to panic if they hear rumbling in the middle of the night, as this is a natural reaction of frozen ground.
Federal Response and Humanitarian Aid
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has activated the National Response Coordination Center to oversee the provision of federal support to affected states.
In Texas and Louisiana, aid collection zones have been established in advance, where 250,000 ready-to-eat meals, 400,000 liters of water, and dozens of generators have been deployed. More than 28 urban search and rescue teams are on full alert, and incident management teams have been deployed to emergency operations centers for rapid disaster response.