Deadly Winter Storm Leaves Five Dead in US Chaos

Winter Storm Claims Five Lives, Paralyzes US with School Closures and Power Outages

At least five people have died as a powerful winter storm sweeps across a wide stretch of the United States, bringing treacherous conditions, school closures, travel disruptions, and widespread power outages. The storm has forced seven US states to declare emergencies: Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky, and Arkansas.

The extreme weather, caused by a polar vortex, has resulted in the cancellation of more than 2,300 flights and nearly 9,000 delays, creating havoc in airports across the country. The icy cold air typically circulates the North Pole but has shifted southward, leading to dangerously cold temperatures and snow accumulation.

As of Tuesday morning, approximately 190,000 people were without power in the storm’s path, according to Poweroutage.us. The storm is expected to continue its impact through the day, with snow and sleet forecasted for much of the northeastern US. Local authorities have urged residents to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel as the storm continues to cause significant disruptions.

Emergency services are working tirelessly to assist those affected by the storm, which has left a trail of destruction and chaos across the country. The full extent of the damage and the number of casualties may increase as the storm progresses.

Winter Storm Disrupts US, Brings Snow and Chaos Across the East Coast

While the heavy precipitation from Winter Storm Blair is expected to dissipate soon, cold Arctic air will continue to bring icy conditions to large parts of the country for several more weeks. In Washington DC, where lawmakers met on Monday to certify Donald Trump’s win in the November election, snowfall of 5-9 inches (13-23 cm) blanketed the city, with up to a foot recorded in nearby Maryland and Virginia.

The storm has led to significant disruptions, including major travel delays and school closures. In Washington DC, the weather emergency was declared until the early hours of Tuesday, and local schools were closed, giving students an unexpected snow day after the winter break.

Despite the severe conditions, many residents found ways to enjoy the snowfall. Hundreds of locals gathered at a park in front of the Washington Monument for a snowball fight, a 15-year-old tradition. “Just having fun,” one local man told the BBC, sharing the excitement of the snow day. Another familiar face, former US Olympic skier Clare Egan, was spotted cross-country skiing on the National Mall. “I thought my skiing days were maybe behind me,” she said, reflecting on her impromptu return to the sport after moving to the city.

While the storm’s immediate impacts are fading, cold temperatures will persist across a significant portion of the US, keeping conditions icy and challenging for weeks to come. Emergency services and local authorities continue to work on recovery efforts, and residents are urged to stay safe and prepared as the winter weather lingers.

Winter Storm Causes Deadly Crashes, Dangerous Road Conditions Across US

The ongoing winter storm has wreaked havoc across large parts of the United States, causing deadly accidents and dangerous road conditions. In Missouri, the state’s highway patrol reported that at least 365 people had crashed on Sunday alone, leaving dozens injured and at least one person dead. The storm’s impact was felt strongly in nearby Kansas, one of the worst-hit states, where local news reported two fatalities from a car crash during the severe weather.

In Houston, Texas, authorities discovered the body of an individual who had died from the cold weather at a bus stop on Monday morning. The storm has also caused chaos in Virginia, where at least 300 car crashes were reported between midnight and Monday morning. Authorities warned residents to avoid driving in many areas of the state. Local media also confirmed the death of at least one motorist due to the weather.

In Kansas City, the storm brought the heaviest snow the region had seen in 32 years, according to Matthew Cappucci, senior meteorologist at MyRadar. Some areas near the Ohio River have been transformed into “skating rinks” due to the freezing temperatures, leaving plows and police vehicles stuck. “The ploughs are getting stuck, the police are getting stuck, everybody’s getting stuck – stay home,” Cappucci advised.

As the storm continues to move through the US, authorities are urging residents to stay off the roads and remain indoors to avoid the hazards created by the severe weather conditions. The storm’s impact on both road safety and local infrastructure is expected to remain a challenge for several days.

COURTESY: USA TODAY

References

Mukesh Singh Profile He is an IITian, Electronics & Telecom Engineer and MBA in TQM with more than 15 years wide experience in Education sector, Quality Assurance & Software development . He is TQM expert and worked for numbers of Schools ,College and Universities to implement TQM in education sectors He is an author of “TQM in Practice” and member of “Quality circle forum of India”, Indian Institute of Quality, New Delhi & World Quality Congress . His thesis on TQM was published during world quality congress 2003 and he is also faculty member of Quality Institute of India ,New Delhi He is a Six Sigma Master Black Belt from CII. He worked in Raymond Ltd from 1999-2001 and joined Innodata Software Ltd in 2001 as a QA Engineer. He worked with the Dow Chemical Company (US MNC) for implementation of Quality Systems and Process Improvement for Software Industries & Automotive Industries. He worked with leading certification body like ICS, SGS, DNV,TUV & BVQI for Systems Certification & Consultancy and audited & consulted more than 1000 reputed organization for (ISO 9001/14001/18001/22000/TS16949,ISO 22001 & ISO 27001) and helped the supplier base of OEM's for improving the product quality, IT security and achieving customer satisfaction through implementation of effective systems. Faculty with his wide experience with more than 500 Industries (Like TCS, Indian Railways, ONGC, BPCL, HPCL, BSE( Gr Floor BOI Shareholdings), UTI, ONGC, Lexcite.com Ltd, eximkey.com, Penta Computing, Selectron Process Control, Mass-Tech, United Software Inc, Indrajit System, Reymount Commodities, PC Ware, ACI Laptop ,Elle Electricals, DAV Institutions etc), has helped the industry in implementing ISMS Risk Analysis, Asset Classification, BCP Planning, ISMS Implementation FMEA, Process Control using Statistical Techniques and Problem Solving approach making process improvements in various assignments. He has traveled to 25 countries around the world including US, Europe and worldwide regularly for corporate training and business purposes.
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