US: Powerful winter storm batters southeastern states
January 17, 2022
Winter Storm Izzy blasted southeastern states with snow, ice and high winds. Over 130,000 homes and businesses have been left without power and flights have been slashed. The storm is now headed for New England.
Drivers were warned of hazardous road conditions and major travel headachesImage: Sean Rayford/Getty Images
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Several US states were taking stock of the damage on Monday while others were bracing for impact, after a major winter storm swept through the region, heavy snow and ice knocking out power and disrupting travel.
The southeastern states of Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina all declared emergencies due to the storm, which hit the area on Sunday.
Winter weather alerts were issued across the eastern US stretching more than 1,000 miles (1,609 kilometers) and covering more than 80 million people.
An estimated 130,000 homes and businesses in the Carolinas and Georgia reported power outages by mid-Sunday, according to the website PowerOutage.US.
However, it appeared some households were coming back online by the evening.
Tornado in Florida
The National Weather Service warned of heavy snowfall, freezing rain, and high winds, making its way through the southeast and coastal mid-Atlantic on Sunday before moving up to New England and southern Canada later on Monday.
The highest snowfall was expected at some areas along the Appalachian mountain range, which could see as much as one inch of snow per hour through Monday, the NWS said.
Icy conditions could continue to develop through Tuesday, it added.
North Carolina, which saw up to a foot of snowfall in some areas, reported hundreds of vehicle accidentsImage: Peter Zay/AA/picture alliance
A tornado with 118 mph (190 kph) winds struck southwest Florida, the weather service said. It was on the ground for more 2 miles and destroyed 30 mobile homes, while dozens more sustained major damage.
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Hazardous road conditions
In North Carolina, some regions saw as much as 10 inches (25 centimeters) of snow, and highway patrols reported hundreds of road accidents.
The North Carolina Highway Patrol responded to at least 300 car crashes and nearly 800 calls for service by mid-afternoon, the agency spokesperson Christopher Knox said.
Two people died Sunday when they lost control of their car drove off the road and into trees in the state capital Raleigh.
Virginia State Police reported a "multi-vehicle backup," along with minor crashes, that had caused traffic congestion on a major interstate in the southern part of the state.
Flights grounded
More than 3,000 domestic and international flights were canceled on Sunday, and over 8,000 flights were delayed, according to FlightAware data.
More than 90% of flights scheduled at Florida's Charlotte Douglas International airport were canceled Sunday.
American Airlines alone saw more than 660 flight cancellations. Customers affected by the weather were allowed to rebook flights without a fee, the airline said.
adi/rs (AP, AFP, Reuters)
Kentucky is 'ground zero' in the aftermath of deadly US tornadoes
Dozens of people have been killed and hundreds are still missing after several tornadoes tore through six US states. The deadly winds have flattened entire factories and destroyed thousands of homes.
Image: Cyril Julien/AFP
Trail of devastation
Tornadoes ripped through several US states over the weekend, leaving some 300 kilometers (185 miles) of devastation in their wake. Among the hardest hit was Kentucky, where President Joe Biden has declared a "major disaster," allowing the release of federal aid to the area.
Image: Brendan Smialowski/AFP
'Ground zero'
These two women were left standing in front of a destroyed women's shelter in the city of Mayfield, Kentucky — "ground zero" for the disaster, as described by the state's governor, Andy Beshear, on Saturday. Rescuers searching for survivors and recovering the dead made slow progress over the weekend.
Image: Mat Stone/REUTERS
'It looked like matchsticks'
Mayfield has been reduced to "matchsticks," Mayor Kathy Stewart O'Nan told CNN. Countless buildings in the small town of 10,000 inhabitants were destroyed by the storm, which left trees and piles of bricks lying in the streets.
Image: Scott Olson/Getty Images
Everything is gone
As rescuers searched through debris fields for victims in Kentucky and other regions, many survivors were left without shelter, water or electricity. Vicky Fichter, 63, of Mayfield, seen here sitting in her car which had its windows blown out by the storm, was among them.
Image: Cheney Orr/REUTERS
'It was just unbelievable'
A pensioner from Dawson Springs told US broadcaster CNN that she sat out the storm in a shelter. There was a lot of noise for three or four seconds, and then the tornado was already over. "But then when we got out and started looking at the damage, it was just unbelievable," she said.
Image: Scott Olson/Getty Images
Small joys amid the horror
Mike Castle from Dawson Springs, Kentucky hugged his daughter Nikki after finding the necklace he wanted to give her for Christmas. Governor Beshear was also wishing for the best, and that the death toll will be lower than expected. "We're still hoping as we move forward for some miracles," he said Sunday.
Image: Minh Connors/USA TODAY NETWORK/REUTERS
Factory razed to the ground
More than 100 people had been working through the night in this candle factory in Mayfield, preparing for the Christmas season. On CNN, a worker who was rescued after sending a call for help from the factory via Facebook Live recounted how the tornado passed over her: It was as if the building and everyone in it was rocking back and forth, and then, "boom," everything fell on top of her.
Image: Cheney Orr /REUTERS
Amazon warehouse destroyed
This Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville, in the state of Illinois, was also in the path of the tornadoes. At least six of the employees were killed when the warehouse collapsed, trapping around 100 in the building. They were also working through the night ahead of the holidays.
Image: Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images
Helping each other out
The owner of this shop (right) in the town of Bowling Green, Kentucky, was trying to save what he could, with a little help from a neighbor. President Biden has called on Americans to follow their example: "We're going to get through this together," he said. "This is one of those times when we aren't Democrats or Republicans. Sounds like hyperbole, but it's real. We're all Americans."
Image: Gunnar Word/AFP/Getty Images
A result of climate change?
"The fact is that we all know everything is more intense when the climate is warming — everything," said Biden on Saturday, adding that "obviously" climate change had had some impact. Scientists have repeatedly warned that storms will increase in number and in strength in a warming climate — especially in areas where extreme weather events are already common.
