The deadly storm, which left behind vast swathes of the United States, continued to batter the Northeast and Great Lakes region Thursday with heavy snow, rain and wind, causing power outages, school closures and travel disruptions in major cities.
Meteorologists expect 1 to 2 feet of snow to fall in New England, particularly Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and northeastern New York, according to the National Weather Service. The combination of heavy snowfall and strong winds resulted in whiteout conditions and snow-covered roads in some areas. Many schools and government offices in the area were closed.
“If possible, please don't go on the road today.” Maine Governor Janet Mills posted on X. “If you must drive, please drive slowly and always give first responders, snowplows, and public works workers plenty of space.”
The National Weather Service has issued a flood advisory for parts of eastern Illinois, including Washington, D.C. and New York City, through Virginia and into Rhode Island. More than 3 inches of rain had fallen in parts of New Jersey as of Thursday morning. The same storm also affected the Great Lakes, with several inches of snow reported in Wisconsin and Michigan.
Meanwhile, weather warnings were issued for parts of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico, warning of strong winds, rain along the coast and snow in high-elevation areas. A front moving east through the northern High Plains, Great Basin and Southern California regions is expected to stay in the Sierra Nevada through Saturday, while snow is expected to fall in the Rocky Mountains into the weekend.
Hundreds of thousands of people are without power.flight canceled
More than 500,000 homes and businesses in the Northeast, particularly Maine, were without power, and more than 300,000 utility customers were without power as of early Thursday, according to a database maintained by USA TODAY. The Great Lakes region was also not spared. In Michigan and Wisconsin, he reported more than 60,000 power outages.
Airports in Boston, New York and New Jersey reported the most disruptions, with about 100 cancellations and 150 delays, according to aviation tracking website FlightAware.
Damage assessment and cleanup underway in parts of central and eastern United States
A major storm system that battered the U.S. over the weekend with severe weather conditions has spawned tornadoes, damaged businesses and destroyed homes in Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia this week. Ta. Strong winds toppled power poles and snapped trees in areas as far south as Florida. Floodwaters trapped cars on roads and stranded people for hours across the Midwest.
“It's devastating,” Sunbright Mayor Karen Melton said Wednesday after a tornado ripped through the small Tennessee city about an hour northwest of Knoxville. Although no one died due to injuries, the damage was extensive. “We had a young mother and father holding a baby, an infant, and a 4-year-old child when the tornado blew the roof off our apartment building. … It was really scary and sad. But they made it out okay. She was fine.'' There were some injuries, but the babies were safe. That was just a huge blessing. ”
In northern West Virginia, a landslide swept away more than 200 headstones at a cemetery in Wheeling, a small city in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, CBS42 reported. The cemetery, which was closed Thursday, is home to thousands of graves, some dating back to the Civil War.
In Indiana, the storm destroyed homes across the Evansville area, including the city's wartime museum, which canceled all events due to “severe damage.” , was forced to close. Photos posted on the museum's Facebook page show ceiling tiles caved in, exposing insulation.
Officials in Georgia continued cleanup efforts after two tornadoes struck metropolitan Atlanta and Crisp County near the central part of the state late Tuesday night, according to the National Weather Service. Approximately 36 homes were damaged or destroyed in Crisp County, where the tornado had maximum wind speeds of 160 miles per hour.
“This is a dangerous situation. Trees are still being cut down in the area, power lines are still down and a lot of equipment is still coming and going,” Sheriff Billy Hancock said in a video posted to Facebook Thursday. Ta. “There's still a lot of work to do.”
Officials link multiple deaths to powerful storm
This week's storms have killed at least four people in Kentucky, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania.
On Wednesday, multiple media outlets reported that two people, a 70-year-old man and an 82-year-old woman, were killed when their car was crushed by a fallen tree. Gov. Andy Beshear said at a press conference Wednesday that a young man in Campbell County, Kentucky, died in a traffic accident during Tuesday's storm.
A 46-year-old homeless woman died Monday in Tulsa, Oklahoma, after taking shelter in a storm drain, KJRH-TV reported.
California's main highway closed again due to partial collapse
A major highway in Southern California that collapsed when thunderstorms soaked the area over the weekend has been shut down again as more severe weather is expected for the region.
The Monterey County Sheriff's Office in Salinas announced evacuation orders for the Big Sur area Wednesday morning ahead of showers and thunderstorms expected to begin Thursday and continue into Friday. Officials said residents could evacuate north on Route 1 before a “total road closure” was placed in the area where the collapse occurred last Saturday.
The road “drop'' occurred during heavy rains as a major weather system swept across the country, bringing damaging hail to the Midwest.
Contributor: Liz Keller, Knoxville News Sentinel
