Power outages hit east coast as winter storm brings heavy snow
Summary
More than 200,000 customers suffer power outages and thousands of flights are canceledA winter storm blanketed parts of the eastern U.S. with heavy snow, causing widespread travel disruption and knocking out power for more than 200,000 homes and businesses.
The National Weather Service said up to 20 inches of snow had fallen in parts of Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and South Carolina as of early Monday, with icy roads creating dangerous driving conditions. Heavy rain and strong winds lashed other areas, with some coastal communities at risk of flooding as well as falling trees and power lines.
Snow fell at a rate of more than four inches an hour in Buffalo, N.Y., and heavy snowfall was forecast across the Northeast on Monday. The impact on New York City was expected to be limited to severe thunderstorms, with gusts of up to 55 miles an hour.
More than 215,000 power customers were without power as of early Monday, with North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia hardest hit, according to poweroutage.us. The governors of several states, including North Carolina and South Carolina, declared states of emergency, activating state resources to respond to the storm.
Two people died Sunday when their car skidded off the road and into trees, east of Raleigh, N.C., the Associated Press reported. Virginia state police said they responded to almost 1,000 traffic incidents as a result of the storm on Sunday. No deaths were reported.
“If you’re able tonight and tomorrow morning, stay home and off the roads," Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said on Twitter. Local authorities issued advice on exercising caution and staying safe during the power outages, and urged people to remain at home.
Authorities in North Carolina were preparing shelters for people who were without power and heat.
The heavy snow was moving along the Appalachians and into the Northeast and is forecast to hit Canada’s southeast on Tuesday, the National Weather Service said. Twenty or more states could be affected, it said. Residents in several areas were urged to prepare for white-out conditions caused by snow blown by strong winds.
More than 1,200 flights within, into or out of the U.S. were canceled Monday, following more than 3,000 Sunday, according to flight tracker FlightAware.com.
Multiple tornadoes were reported in Florida on Sunday, the National Weather Service said.
Forecast snowfall in Canada prompted authorities to close some schools Monday. Most schools in the U.S. will be closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
