Mississippi declares emergency as storms in US South kill 11 on Christmas Eve

Southern US states began digging out on Thursday after severe storms killed at least 11 people, and Mississippi declared a state of emergency in areas pounded by tornadoes.

With about 100 million Americans expected to travel over the Christmas holiday, the National Weather Service forecast isolated severe thunderstorms from the mid-Atlantic region to the Gulf Coast and record warmth in New York.

The storm system packed high winds and triggered more than 20 tornadoes in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Michigan on Wednesday, authorities said.

A large tornado tore a 100-mile (160-km) path through northern Mississippi, demolishing or heavily damaging more than 100 homes and other buildings before plowing into western Tennessee, authorities said.

Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant declared a state of emergency in areas affected by the storm, saying 14 tornadoes had touched down in the state. Bryant said seven people were killed and one person was missing.

"Everybody is pulling together here in Mississippi today to help respond to this disaster," Bryant said on CNN.

He said shelters had been set up and the full extent of the damage would not be known for several days. Mississippi authorities said some 40 people were injured and a 7-year-old boy was among those killed.

Three people died in Tennessee and an 18-year-old woman was killed in Arkansas when a tree crashed into her house, authorities said.

Thirteen counties in Tennessee suffered severe damage, with a post office destroyed and a state highway washed out.

Emergency crews in Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee were searching for several people reported missing. Scores were injured in the region.

A rare tornado touched down in Canton, Michigan, and about 15,000 homes in the state and neighboring Wisconsin were without electricity. The weather service issued a gale force wind warning for Lake Michigan, where waves could reach 15 feet.

About 500 flights were delayed or canceled at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airport as the area was hit by a thunderstorm.

Meanwhile, much of the northeast enjoyed balmy weather on Thursday, including New York, which surpassed its record for the warmest Christmas Eve reaching 71 degrees Fahrenheit (22 C).

Cold and snow were forecast on Christmas Day for the US Northwest, including temperatures in the teens in Montana and snow likely in Washington, Oregon, northern California, and Nevada.

Of the 100 million Americans traveling over the holiday, 91 million will use cars, according to the American Automobile Association.

source: interaksyon.com

Toll rises to 10 in killer northeast US snowstorm

NEW YORK - The death toll from a rare pre-winter snowstorm rose to 10 in the northeastern United States on Thursday, paralyzing communities for days and dumping more than six feet of snow near Buffalo.

The National Weather Service warned an extra two to three feet (60 to 90 centimeters) of "lake effect snow," created when frigid air moves over warm lake waters, could fall on Thursday.

It said visibility was near zero and that thunder and lightning were likely to accompany the heaviest snow as a state of emergency and travel bans remained in place in western New York state.

The colossal snowfall has collapsed roofs, damaged homes and businesses, canceled flights, and stranded motorists for as many as two nights on the highway, including New York rock group Interpol.

Precipitation roughly equivalent to a year's supply of snow in two days has mobilized more than 5,000 people to help with snow removal and storm recovery, including the National Guard, officials said.

The death toll from "Winter Storm Knife" rose to 10 when two people died of exposure in Niagara County and Boston town in Erie County, officials told AFP.

Four or five others died earlier in the storm while working to clear mounds of heavy snow from their cars and homes, and the blizzard could yet prompt a federal disaster declaration.

The state of emergency is so severe that the NFL announced that the football game between the local Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets would not be played on Sunday in Buffalo.

The NFL said it would reschedule and relocate the game, "due to public safety concerns" in the city.

'Definitely historic' snowfall

"Very dangerous storm. One more day. Let's get through this snow. People -- continue to be smart. Stay at home. Observe the driving bans," deputy Erie County executive Richard Tobe said.

The rock band Interpol said they were stranded more than 50 hours on their tour bus by the storm outside Buffalo, forcing them to cancel two consecutive nights of concerts in Montreal and Toronto.

"Finally just started making a move. 50+ hours later. Hoping for some luck today," the band tweeted Thursday morning.

Alex Cleary, a senior program coordinator at the University of Buffalo, and her husband have been snowed in at home for three days and Cleary said the snow was still coming down.

"It is a little bit scary, especially given that no one can really drive. So if you need help, it's a little tough," she told AFP.

Temperatures are expected to rise above freezing on Saturday, then shoot up, bringing a deluge of rain which together with melting now bring severe flood warnings, officials said.

National Weather Service meteorologist Dave Zaff told AFP that some areas south of Buffalo city received at least 70-80 inches (1.8 to two meters) of snow since the storm began.

"This is definitely historic," he said. But come the weekend, "the main concern would be flooding," Zaff warned.

source: interaksyon.com

Arctic blast takes aim at frigid US

NEW YORK - Millions of people in the United States hunkered down Sunday in anticipation of brutal weather from a dangerous Arctic blast that forecasters warn could send freezing temperatures plummeting to record lows.

The northeast of the country and parts of Canada have been in the grip of crippling heavy snow and deadly sub-zero temperatures since the turn of the year and the deep freeze is now ripping through the US Midwest and threatening usually warmer areas further south.

The wind chill from the rare "polar vortex" could make it feel as cold as -55 Fahrenheit (-48 Celsius) in places, weather forecasters say, prompting authorities in several towns and cities to issue warnings telling people to stay indoors and even stock up on food.

In such cold conditions, exposed skin would suffer frostbite in as little as five minutes, experts have cautioned.

In New York, which declared a state of emergency when storm Hercules swept in on Thursday, John F. Kennedy Airport ceased operations for more than two hours because of freezing rain and snow after a Delta Airlines jet from Toronto slid into a snowbank.

None of the 35 people on board were hurt, ABC News said, but at least a dozen people have died in the cold conditions since the turn of the year and travel has been badly disrupted, with thousands of flights canceled or delayed, ensuring a miserable end to the holiday season for some.

"Winter Storm Ion is spreading a swath of heavy snow across the Midwest, and its icy tentacles will also bring wintry weather into the south and parts of the east. Following closely behind Ion will be a blast of brutally cold air," said The Weather Channel in its Sunday morning forecast.

The Midwestern states of Minnesota, where Governor Mark Dayton has already announced schools will be closed Monday "to protect all our children from the dangerously cold temperatures," and North Dakota were expected to bear the brunt of the worst weather.

Chicago, Detroit and St Louis all saw more snowfall overnight, while Sunday's National Football League playoff showdown between the Green Bay Packers and the San Francisco 49ers at the open-air Lambeau Field in Wisconsin looked set to be one of the coldest NFL games in history.

The Packers say they will help fans battle the big freeze by handing out free coffee, hot chocolate and hand warmers, while supporters would also be allowed to bring blankets and sleeping bags.

Added to the mix was freezing rain forecast to hit the south and east, affecting New York and Washington, with the extreme weather expected to continue into the early part of the week in many places across the country.

Among the deaths blamed on the weather was a worker killed on Friday when he was crushed by a 100-foot (30-meter) pile of salt being prepared to treat roads in the Philadelphia area, media reports said.

A 71-year-old woman suffering from Alzheimer's disease froze to death after walking out into the cold and getting lost in northern New York state, according to authorities.

source: interaksyon.com

Snow blankets US East Coast; Washington offices, many schools closed

NEW YORK - A fast-moving snowstorm barreled through the US mid-Atlantic on Tuesday, cancelling flights, snarling roadways and shutting schools and government offices while winds kept the midsection of the country in an icy grip that killed at least 10 people.

The East Coast's first significant snowfall of the season was expected to dump up to 8 inches on northern Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware and into southern New England, Brian Korty, meteorologist with the National Weather Service (NWS), said in a forecast.

By midday the storm had blown through Washington, D.C., where federal government offices were shut for the day, the Office of Personnel Management said. In neighboring Delaware, Governor Jack Markell announced state offices were shut and urged residents to stay off dangerously slick roads.

New Jersey roads were littered with fender benders and more serious accidents, including a jack-knifed tractor trailer and a bus that skidded off the pavement.

"It was like dominoes. Cars couldn't get up the hills," said Stanley Jackson, who was plowing snow in northern New Jersey. "People were just sliding into one another."

In Oklahoma, the medical examiner said winter weather was responsible for 10 deaths ranging from traffic accidents on icy roads to falling into icy waters.

Snowflakes falling on Times Square in New York City thrilled tourists, including Janet Major, 57, visiting from England.

"It's like 'Miracle on 34th Street.' It's added to the holiday atmosphere," said Major, referring to the classic Christmas movie.

Alberto Rodriguez, 45, an auto repair mechanic from Orlando, Florida, agreed.

"I'm so happy. In the four years I've been coming here, I've never seen the snow. And this is my last day in the city," Rodriguez said.

The city declared a snow alert and readied 365 salt spreaders, 282 front-end snow loaders and 1,800 plows, said Belinda Mager, spokeswoman for the city Sanitation Department.

At airports around the country, more than 1,600 flights were canceled, most of them in Newark, New Jersey, Philadelphia and New York, according to FlightAware.com, which tracks air travel.

School districts in Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, suburban Maryland, New Jersey and New York canceled classes.

The new snowfall followed a swath of snow and sleet that swept through the nation over the weekend and Monday, dumping up to 10 inches or more on many areas.

Strong winds, expected to blow through the nation's midsection until Wednesday, created wind chills that made temperatures on Tuesday feel like minus 20F (minus 28C) in the Northern Plains and minus 10F (minus 23C) in the Midwest, meteorologist Andrew Baglini said on Accuweather.com.

Temperatures were 8 degrees below zero (minus 17.8 Celsius) early Tuesday morning in Pershing County, Nevada, where rescue workers scoured a mountain area for a couple and four children, missing since Sunday.

The six were last seen near an abandoned mining camp in remote northwestern Nevada, where they had gone to play in the snow. The Pershing County Sheriff's Office said authorities feared the family would not last long in the bitter cold.

Homes and businesses from Indiana to West Virginia that lost power on Monday were returning to normal on Tuesday, including in Virginia where 15,000 people remained without power, down from 122,000 on Monday.

"Right now, we're looking at a lot of busted tree tops. That's always going to bring down a lot of poles and lines," said Phil Moye, spokesman for Appalachian Electric Power in West Virginia, where more than 7,500 people remained without power. (Additional reporting by Curtis Skinner in New York City, Carey Gillam in Kansas City, Ian Simpson in Washington, D.C., Colleen Jenkins in Winston-Salem, N.C., and Eric M. Johnson in Seattle)

source: interaksyon.com

Storm brings white Christmas, tornado threat to central US

WASHINGTON - A major winter storm brought a rare white Christmas to the southern US plains on Tuesday, contributing to a 21-vehicle pile-up that shut down a major highway in Oklahoma.

The storm system surging east from Kansas and the Texas Panhandle includes the threat of tornados and severe thunderstorms along its southern fringe, from southeast Texas to Alabama, the National Weather Service said.

The storm is expected to bring blizzard conditions and 6 to 8 inches of snow as it strengthens and moves northeast into the upper Ohio River valley through southern Missouri and Illinois, it said.

Freezing drizzle overnight led to 10 separate collisions on Interstate 40 at Oklahoma City just before 3 a.m., said Trooper Betsy Randolph, a spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

The 21-vehicle pile-up included three tractor-trailers and shut down the westbound lanes for about five hours, she said. Twelve people were taken to hospitals, and troopers are checking on the severity of their injuries.

In a rare taste of Christmas snow, Oklahoma City is forecast to get 3 to 6 inches of the white stuff on Tuesday. The city's biggest Christmas snowfall was 6.5 inches in 1914, and measurable amounts have been recorded only a handful of times on the date.

Several flights were canceled at Oklahoma City's Will Rogers World Airport on Monday ahead of the storm, but conditions on Tuesday morning were good, the airport said in a statement.

Ahead of the storm's path, parts of eastern West Virginia are under a winter storm warning. Ice accumulations of up to half an inch are expected in higher elevations, the National Weather Service said.

source: interaksyon.com