【2023. 2. 24 USA】
“Winter storm” hits the United States: Millions of households without power, more than 2,000 flights canceled
“Blizzards hit the west and north of the United States… but the southeast experienced unusually high temperatures.” The winter storm hit the northern United States, from northern California to eastern Maine, all of which were covered in snow and frost. On February 23, 60 million residents had already closed their homes. Nearly 1 million households were without power due to weather warnings and storms that crippled the power grid. The heavy snow also caused traffic chaos, stranded vehicles and multiple crashes involving cars sliding off icy roads, particularly in the Midwest. In addition, severe storms and snowstorms have also caused flight delays. As of the followingnoon of the 23rd, more than 2,000 flights across the United States have been canceled and nearly 14,000 flights have been delayed.
American Power TrackerPowerOutage.usAccording to data from the National Institute of Technology, the storm that has swept across the Northwest of the United States, the Great Lakes region, New York and New England on the east coast has caused nearly 1 million homes and businesses to lose power, with Michigan having the most severe power outages-Michigan More than 800,000 households were cut off in the state, and other affected states include California, Illinois, New York, Oregon, and Wisconsin; the power grid was damaged in the storm, partly due to heavy snow, freezing rain, and icing conditions Damage to public lines, or downed trees damage power lines.
Damaged public power grid, many broken cables scattered, causing electric shock hazard, electricity companyDTE EnergyWarnings have been issued to residents of areas affected by the storm, particularly Michigan:
“Falling trees, high voltage wires that may be hidden under branches… please stay out of your yard today, keep children and pets at home.”
DTE Energy’s notice added that regarding 3,000 of the company’s cables were damaged in the storm and are still being rescued, and power is expected to be restored to most customers by February 26.
Heavy snow and storms have caused safety concerns and traffic problems. The National Weather Service pointed out that parts of the west, north and the Great Lakes region may experience snowfall of regarding 2.5 to 5 centimeters per hour, accompanied by strong winds with wind speeds of up to 40 to 50 kilometers per hour. Whether it is travel, livestock, entertainment or infrastructure, it will cause major damage.
Snow conditions in various places have blocked traffic, causing motorists to be trapped in heavy snow and can hardly move. As of the 23rd local time, parts of southern Wyoming had more than 1 meter of snow, 80 centimeters of snow in northwestern Montana, and Nebraska. The snow accumulation in California and other places also reached 8 cm to 15 cm. In Portland, Oregon, the snow depth was regarding 28 centimeters, which was the second-most snowfall in the area since 1940. The impact of the storm was far beyond the expectations of the Portland Meteorological Department. Weather forecasts predict only a 5 percent chance of snow accumulation exceeding 15 centimeters.
Since the evening of the 22nd, the roads in the storm-affected areas have been severely blocked, and countless drivers have been trapped for more than ten hours. Due to the severe cold weather, drivers are worried regarding the risk of hypothermia. The icy roads make driving more dangerous; Wyoming’s road search and rescue team has started rescue operations on the 22nd, and the Minnesota Patrol pointed out that there were more than 160 car accidents on the 22nd, and dozens of vehicles slid on the road. The Oregon Department of Transportation also stated that many roads were blocked by vehicles that broke down or drivers abandoned their cars, and fallen trees also caused road closures, and therefore urged local residents to avoid long-distance travel.
The storm also caused numerous flight cancellations, according to the flight tracking websiteFlightAwareAccording to data, more than 1,600 flights have been canceled on the 22nd, and by the followingnoon of the 23rd, more than 680 flights have been canceled, including international flights and domestic flights in the United States, and more than 14,000 flights have been delayed due to bad weather.
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in Minnesota was one of the worst-hit airports, with more than 30 centimeters of snow expected locally; there are also many states that have taken precautions in advance for safety reasons, such as Wisconsin’s green Bay International Airport has taken the lead in canceling routine flights on the evening of the 22nd and most flights on the morning of the 23rd.
South Dakota, Wyoming, Arizona, North Dakota and Minnesota also closed some highway sections; Maine Governor Janet Mills announced the closure of state government offices on the 23rd due to heavy snow considerations.
Snowfall has even occurred in areas of California that are warm all year round. For example, the San Diego Meteorological Department in Southern California issued a blizzard warning for the first time. Karen Krenis, a California resident working in Santa Cruz, said that she saw snow on her way to work. It was snowing on the beach, and many children were playing in the snow and making snowmen. She said:
“I’ve lived in California for 30 years and I’ve never seen anything like this.”
It is worth noting that, contrary to the severe cold in the west and north, the southeastern United States has experienced unusually high winter temperatures. According to CNN, from Ohio to Florida, it is expected that many places will set record high temperatures in February on the 23rd. On the 22nd, the temperature in McAllen, Texas was as high as 36.6 degrees Celsius, and in Naples, Florida, was 30.6 degrees Celsius; Atlanta, Georgia also had a temperature of 27.2 degrees in February, and Atlanta usually has a temperature of 27.2 degrees in May. Only then will such temperatures appear.
