Snow storm hit the United States: 7 dead, tens of thousands without electricity

Severe frosts are coming to the United States after a powerful snow storm. 7 people died in New York and Pennsylvania because of the storm, more than 50 thousand were left without electricity. The air temperature is now expected to drop and ice forms on the roads. Writes about it Dailymail.

Photo: Shutterstock

With temperatures expected to drop sharply in New York City, officials warn that snow and sleet could turn to ice. Emergency crews were in a hurry to clear slush from roads throughout the Northeast of the country.

“We are starting to catch up. It was a severe storm,” said Jonathan Gulliver, a spokesman for the Massachusetts State Highway Administration. “We are very concerned about the flash freeze. The temperature is dropping quickly."

Crews across Massachusetts worked all day to sprinkle salt on the roads, but officials said the cold temperatures would cause problems anyway.

“We intend to continue to ask people to stay home if possible,” Gulliver said.

At least 7 dead

On Wednesday and Thursday (December 16-17), a blizzard killed at least seven people.

In Pennsylvania, two people died in a 60-car collision in Clinton County, and many were rushed to hospital with injuries.

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A driver has died after losing control of the vehicle in a crash in Snyder County. One Pennsylvania man died after running into a city snowplow.

Another person was killed in one of more than 200 clashes in Virginia, with over 350 reported in Maryland in the early morning of December 17.

Took this one from inside. Looks like it will be around 16 inches once the storm ends in a few hours. As so often, bullseye ? on the North Shore. #snowstorm pic.twitter.com/Le979NUa6W

- Derek Rae (@RaeComm) December 17, 2020

New York State officials said the storm killed two residents, but did not provide any details.

In Pittsburgh, two ambulance workers escaped when a truck lost control and crashed into their vehicle.

Power outage

The storm left tens of thousands of people without electricity. Over 10 New Jersey customers reported power outages, approximately 000 — on Long Island.

Outages were more severe in New England, with about 6 customers in Massachusetts and more than 500 in Maine without power during the storm.

On Wednesday evening, December 16, more than 57 homes and businesses in Virginia were left without electricity.

The first severe snow storm of the season covered upstate New York with more than 3 feet (91 cm) of snow. It broke records in cities and towns across the region. And utilities had to run at full capacity as snow accumulated more than 4 inches (10 cm) every hour.

“It was a very strong and fast storm with an incredible amount of snow,” said Tom Coppola, who is responsible for maintaining a 100-mile stretch of road in the Albany suburb of Glenville.

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“Unless you have an urgent need to travel, please stay home,” said New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who declared a state of emergency in 18 counties.

According to him, by mid-morning Thursday, December 17, there were more than 9000 power outages, 600 accidents, two people died.

Fastest Snowfall in New York

In New Rochelle, Westchester County, where a foot (30 cm) of snow was recorded, the roof of a Mavis Discount Tire store partially caved in, but no injuries were reported.

Broome County, in the regional capital of Binghamton, saw a record 42 inches (106 cm) of snow. County Executive Jason Garnar warned that snow would fall at a rate of 4 (10 cm) to 5 inches (12 cm) per hour.

“This is the fastest snowfall I’ve ever experienced,” he admitted.

In Ithaca, it took more than an hour and a half for 23-year-old Fred Kallin to dig up a road access blocked by nearly three feet (91 cm) of snow.

“It was pretty crazy,” Cullin said.

Snowfall in Pennsylvania

More than 17 inches (9 cm) of snow fell in Boston in the early morning of Thursday, December 23, surpassing the previous record 6,4 inches (16 cm) in 2013.

In the Boston seaport area, the streets were mostly empty, except for an army of workers clearing the sidewalks in front of luxury tenements, shops and office buildings.

Other states

The Massachusetts Transportation Superintendent said clearing snow-covered highways and streets could take longer than usual because the COVID-19 pandemic has knocked out one in ten drivers.

Emergency services have responded to more than 100 road accidents. And in Obernai, a power line was damaged when a car crashed into it. Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker said about 4 residents were left without electricity.

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“If you have to go out, be careful. And don’t forget: driving a car in such weather is very dangerous,” the governor recalled.

“If you don't really need to go anywhere, it would be great if you stayed home and let the road crews do their job,” he said.

Salting the streets

The New York City Department of Emergency Situations delivered 330 tons of salt and 000 vehicles to salt the streets over fears that "heavy snow and wind could cause blizzards."

Washington DC also has alerted over 300 snowblowers to apply salt to highways, streets, ramps, bridges and flyovers during the night of Tuesday, December 16, as forecasters predicted the storm would bring a mixture of snow, sleet and freezing rain.

By Thursday morning, December 17, the largest accumulation of snow was 45 inches (114 cm) near Binghamton, New York, according to meteorologist Bob Oravek of the National Weather Service, a new record.

Snow still coming down on the North Shore as day starts to become dusk. #snowstorm pic.twitter.com/boBBhXuqwv

- Derek Rae (@RaeComm) December 17, 2020

“This is a historic storm for areas caught in snow bands,” Oravec said. “If you get hit by one, the snow speed can be tremendous.”

Parts of New England received up to 7 inches (18 cm) of snow per hour, according to Margaret Curtis, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service.

A speed of 1 inch (2,5 cm) per hour is usually enough to make it difficult for snow plow trucks to clear up precipitation in time.

Road accidents

Severe weather conditions on the roads have caused dozens of accidents in New Hampshire, Connecticut and eastern New York.

New York State Police said a snowmobile hit a tractor on Highway 787 in downtown Albany. Snowfall at night exceeded the amount of snow recorded over the entire past winter in New York.

Snowblowers have been careful not to damage outdoor dining areas built in Manhattan restaurants.

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Employees at BWI airport near Baltimore reported that a Spirit Airlines plane with 111 people on board slid off the runway while taxiing after landing. No injuries were reported.

Dozens of flights were canceled at other major airports, including 123 at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey.

Public transport has been blocked due to delays and cancellations, including the upstate New Jersey Transit rail and bus service, which reopened on Thursday evening, December 17.

Despite gusts of snow and wind at speeds of up to 50 miles (80 km) per hour, only a few power outages were reported, including 35 in Virginia and 000 in New Jersey. More than 4 blackouts in New York have occurred in homes on Long Island.

Pennsylvania 66 car accident

Many saw the snow as a sign of a festive mood and a welcome respite from the monotony of the pandemic. Weather.

“Wonderful,” said Boston resident Sicheng Cai while walking through his neighborhood. “This is what Christmas should look like.”

The weather brought up snow and wind the night before, which likely contributed to the dangerous driving conditions when a massive car collision occurred on Highway 80 in Pennsylvania.

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Driver Justin Majewski felt every time each new car crashed into the crowd of cars.

“The trucks that were driving behind me when it was snowing were almost white. They couldn’t stop in time,” Majewski explained. “They hit the back of my car and pushed me probably 50-100 yards into the truck that was in front of me.”

Majewski was about 10 minutes' drive from his home in Lamara, Pennsylvania when he had an accident.

“I was sitting in my car and already on the phone with 911, but I could still feel the impact of the cars behind me and felt the vibrations from all this congestion,” Majewski said.

He waited in the cab of the car for almost five hours while the ambulance took him to the hospital.

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