A massive winter storm that hit large parts of the United States over the weekend has left at least 30 people dead, knocking out power to thousands and paralyzing transport networks.
The storm swept from Texas to the northeastern tip of Maine, paralysing roads and blanketing major cities in deep snow.
According to the BBC, eight deaths were reported in New York City between Friday and Monday morning as temperatures dropped to single digits.
Elsewhere, the death toll continued to rise. Two people were killed after being struck by snowploughs in Massachusetts and Ohio. Teenagers lost their lives in sledding accidents in Arkansas and Texas, while in Kansas, police discovered the body of a woman buried in snow after she was last seen leaving a bar.
In Texas, authorities said a teenage girl died and another remains in critical condition following a sledding accident. The Frisco Police Department confirmed the incident.
Heavy snowfall across Northeast and Canada
Some parts of the northeastern US recorded more than 20 inches (50.8 cm) of snow within 24 hours, the National Weather Service (NWS) said, as cited by the BBC.
In New York City, Central Park measured 11.4 inches of snowfall by Monday morning, according to the NWS. The storm also caused major disruptions in Canada, particularly in Ottawa and Quebec, where transportation services were affected and schools were closed.
Toronto Pearson Airport reported 18.1 inches (46 cm) of snowfall on Sunday, setting a new record for the location, according to Canadian Broadcasting Corporation News.
Power and travel disruptions
By late Monday afternoon, nearly 700,000 customers across the mid-Atlantic and southern states were without electricity, according to poweroutage.com. Many areas were left facing freezing temperatures without power.
“There are many trees down and power lines blocking the roads,” Joy Flores, vice president of the Nashville Rescue Mission homeless shelter, told the BBC. She said the shelter was receiving calls from residents affected by outages.
Air travel also remains severely impacted, the BBC reported. On Monday alone, airlines reported more than 19,000 delays and about 5,900 cancellations, according to FlightAware. On Sunday, 45% of all US flights were cancelled, the highest single-day cancellation rate since the COVID-19 pandemic, aviation analytics firm Cirium said.
Severe weather expected
Forecasters warned that conditions may worsen again later this week. The NWS said the “potential is increasing” for another winter storm beginning Friday. Meteorologists cautioned that a “significant winter storm” could once again hit the eastern US, bringing extremely cold temperatures and “widespread heavy precipitation”.
In New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said several of those who died had previous “interactions with the shelter system,” though he did not elaborate. As freezing conditions continue, city authorities have stepped up outreach efforts to protect vulnerable residents.
“Just because the storm has passed does not mean that the danger to homeless New Yorkers has passed,” Mamdani said on Monday. “Outreach teams are only intensifying their efforts today to connect vulnerable New Yorkers to shelter.”
Officials across the affected regions urged people to avoid unnecessary travel, check on neighbours at risk, and prepare for prolonged cold as recovery operations remain underway.
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