A powerful winter storm in the US is already in full swing, and the effects of snowfall and ice will intensify throughout the day, CNN reports, writes UNN.
Details
At the beginning of the ice storm, ice rain was reported in Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana. According to poweroutage.us, power outages are becoming more frequent in northeastern Texas.
North of the ice rain areas, it is snowing. At least 15 cm of snow fell in central Kansas. Several cities are forecast to have the most snow in years.
Air travel suspended: more than 9,000 flights were canceled on Saturday and Sunday. According to FlightAware, more than 3,250 flights were canceled on Saturday and another 5,900+ on Sunday. Since Friday evening, the number of canceled flights has increased by thousands. Sunday's cancellations are the highest single-day total in the past year.
At least 16 states and the District of Columbia declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm to free up and mobilize resources for response and preparation. The list includes Delaware, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, New York, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, and Kansas. Other states, such as Texas and Pennsylvania, also issued similar declarations. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser also declared a state of emergency in the nation's capital on Friday.
Residents of southern states, less accustomed to and unprepared for winter weather, emptied grocery store shelves of water, bread, eggs, and other essentials as forecasters warned they could be stranded for days.
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