Winter storm wallops U.S., killing 18 and knocking out energy : NPR

[ad_1] <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/5272x3948+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fa6%2F3e%2Fea1275ae44cb97d86e294b0ba830%2Fgettyimages-2257800944.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/5272x3948+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fa6%2F3e%2Fea1275ae44cb97d86e294b0ba830%2Fgettyimages-2257800944.jpg" class="img" alt="In this aerial view, ice accumulates on utility lines Monday in Nashville, Tenn. A massive winter storm is bringing frigid temperatures, ice, and snow to tens of millions of Americans across the nation." fetchpriority="high"/> On this aerial view, ice accumulates on utility traces Monday in Nashville, Tenn. A large winter storm is bringing frigid temperatures, ice, and snow to tens of hundreds of thousands of Individuals throughout the nation. Brett Carlsen/Getty Pictures conceal caption

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Brett Carlsen/Getty Pictures Bitter chilly is gripping a lot of the nation after an enormous winter storm swept throughout the U.S., dumping ice, sleet and snow from New Mexico to the japanese seaboard. Not less than 18 deaths are attributed to the climate, in line with The Related Press. Almost half the nation's inhabitants was impacted by the winter freeze, which knocked out energy, made highway circumstances hazardous, and disrupted a number of the nation's busiest airports.

Heavy snow continues to be falling within the northeast, and the Nationwide Climate Service (NWS) warns the frigid temperatures will persist over the japanese two-thirds of the U.S. this week. "Quite a few document lows are forecast," in line with the NWS forecast. "Sub-zero lows are anticipated almost each morning from the Northern Plains by way of the Ohio Valley and into the Northeast."

Ice-covered timber and energy traces knocked out energy for greater than one million clients throughout the South on the peak of the storm. By mid-morning Monday greater than 800,000 houses and companies remained with out electrical energy, in line with PowerOutage.com. Although the variety of outages dropped to 700,000 by early afternoon.

The continued freeze is hampering the work to revive electrical energy. Center Tennessee Electrical is asking for endurance, saying crews have been "combating tree after tree," in a social media publish. "As quickly as they'll get a line again up, one other tree falls, knocking it again out."

Officers are urging individuals to remain off the roads till the ice melts, which could possibly be days.

"Sadly, the danger of energy outages and slick roads will not be over," says North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein. "Temperatures will stay dangerously chilly all through the week, particularly at evening, so please keep protected."

"This storm blanketed Kentucky with snow, sleet and ice for 36 hours straight and now dangerously low temperatures will proceed," says Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. "With these dangerously chilly temperatures, in case your energy is out, we'd like you to get to a warming heart."

In Mississippi, the place the northern a part of the state is roofed in ice, state emergency officers are distributing turbines and gasoline, cots and blankets, and meals and water to affected counties. The College of Mississippi says courses in Oxford are canceled by way of Sunday.

Greater than 20 inches of snow have fallen in Massachusetts, prompting closures of colleges and authorities workplaces. "We're New Englanders. We're robust. However we have now to take this storm significantly," says Gov. Maura Healey.

On Sunday alone, greater than 12,000 airline flights had been cancelled, and greater than 5,000 by mid-day Monday in line with FlightAware. New York's busy LaGuardia Airport closed and grounded all flights Sunday afternoon. Information from the aviation analytics agency Cirium reveals Sunday's cancellations had been the best because the pandemic.

The Federal Aviation Administration says seven individuals had been killed when a non-public jet crashed on takeoff throughout a snowstorm in Bangor, Maine. One crew member survived. Although Maine Public studies airport officers in Bangor say the aircraft's manifest solely listed six individuals, all of whom died.