Massive winter storm grips US; cripples travel, power

Washington: A massive winter storm swept across a broad stretch of the United States, dumping snow and ice, plunging temperatures far below normal, knocking out power to tens of thousands of homes and forcing authorities in more than 20 states to declare emergencies, according to multiple media reports and government officials.

Nearly 190 million people — more than half the US population — were under winter weather alerts across 37 states, from the Rocky Mountains to New England. Snow, sleet and freezing rain spread from New Mexico through the Tennessee Valley, while heavier snow advanced into parts of the Midwest and the mid-Atlantic, officials said.

The storm brought dangerous cold to much of the central and eastern United States. Wind chills fell into the minus 20s and minus 30s in some regions, with temperatures running 10 to 40 degrees below seasonal averages, according to weather officials.

Power outages mounted as ice and heavy snow weighed down lines and damaged infrastructure. More than 132,000 homes across the country were without electricity by Saturday, according to outage tracking data cited by US media. The hardest-hit areas were in the South and Southwest, including Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico.

Texas reported more than 57,000 customers without power by Saturday afternoon, while Louisiana had over 45,000 customers without service, roughly 2 per cent of the state’s total. Officials said outages in Louisiana were concentrated in the northern part of the state, where freezing rain and ice accumulation were most severe.

The storm also severely disrupted travel, especially air traffic. More than 9,000 flights were canceled nationwide over the weekend, with additional cancellations expected as the system pushed east, according to flight-tracking services cited by US media.

Officials warned that Sunday could rank among the worst days for weather-related flight disruptions in US aviation history. American Airlines canceled more than a third of its scheduled flights, while nearly 85 per cent of departures from New York’s LaGuardia Airport were scrapped, according to airline and airport data.

Airports in Dallas-Fort Worth, Charlotte and Nashville were among the most affected, officials said.

As conditions worsened, emergency declarations spread rapidly. At least 20 states — including Texas, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia and several Midwestern and Southern states — declared states of emergency. Washington, D.C. also declared a state of emergency, according to officials.

President Donald Trump approved federal emergency declarations for multiple states, allowing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to assist with emergency work such as debris removal and protective measures.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem urged residents to heed local guidance and avoid unnecessary travel.

“We want to remind everybody that in these emergency disaster situations, it’s your local officials and local emergency managers that go out and execute response to these disasters,” Noem said. “Your states manage it and the federal government is here to support.”

National Guard units were activated across large parts of the country. Guardsmen from at least 12 states were deployed to help clear roads, assist stranded motorists and support local communities, officials said.

In South Carolina, authorities warned residents to prepare for prolonged outages. Governor Henry McMaster said some areas could be without electricity for several days due to heavy ice accumulation.

“You may be without electricity for maybe four days or maybe longer,” McMaster said, urging residents to check on neighbors and vulnerable populations.

Weather officials in the state described the storm as the most severe ice event in the region in nearly two decades, warning of widespread tree damage, downed power lines and impassable roads.

Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger described the approaching system as potentially “catastrophic,” citing the risk of heavy snow, significant ice and extended power outages even after precipitation ends.

Federal offices in the Washington, D.C. region were ordered closed on Monday, with maximum telework in effect. Emergency employees were told to report unless otherwise notified, officials said.

Public transportation systems also shut down in anticipation of dangerous conditions. New Jersey Transit announced the suspension of most bus, light rail and commuter rail services, warning that service would not resume until conditions safely allowed.

The storm renewed concerns about the resilience of the US power grid, particularly in Texas. The US Department of Energy issued an emergency order authorizing the Texas grid operator to deploy backup generation resources to prevent widespread blackouts, officials said.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the administration was moving to ensure all available power generation could be used during the storm. Federal officials cited warnings from reliability monitors that extreme weather combined with rising winter demand continues to strain parts of the national grid.

Utilities across the country mobilized tens of thousands of workers from dozens of states to help restore power as quickly as conditions permit, industry officials said.

Forecasters said conditions should gradually improve next week, though snow and bitter cold may linger in parts of New England and around the Great Lakes. Until then, authorities urged people to stay home where possible, limit travel and prepare for extended disruptions as the storm continues its eastward march.

IANS