A winter storm type “cyclone pump” of a rare intensity swept the United States on Friday, causing highway and airport closures in much of the country on the eve of Christmas.
“More than 240 million people (more than 70% of the population) are affected by weather alerts,” said the National Weather Service (NWS).
Conditions are very dangerous for traffic, authorities warned.
Millions of people were expected to hit the roads and board flights for this summer vacation. Christmas y New Yearmarking a return to pre-pandemic levels of mobility.
More than 1.5 million Americans they were without electricity on fridaySpecially in North and South Carolina, Connecticut, and Texasaccording to the specialized site Poweroutage.us.
“Please take this storm extremely seriously,” President Joe Biden urged Thursday. “I encourage everyone…to listen to the warnings locally. It’s serious.”
About 5,000 flights have been canceled on Friday and another 7,600 postponed, according to the Flight Aware site. The most affected airports were those of Seattle (northwest), New York, Chicago (north) and Detroit.
Snow storms
By Thursday, regarding 10% of flights had been cancelled, the Secretary for Transportation said, Pete Buttigiegthis Friday in MSNBC. “Several of the larger air hubs are affected,” she added.
According to American Automobile Association (AAA), some 112 million people planned to drive at least 80 kilometers between December 23 and January 2.
Several states, including New York, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Georgia, and North Carolina, have declared emergencies.
“People should stay at home, not venture out on the roads,” he told CNN the Governor of Kentucky, Andy Beshear.
“Blizzard conditions can develop very quickly,” he added, noting that the National Guard has been deployed to the state. Beshear confirmed the death of three people on the roads of Kentucky. (AFP)
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