Gigantic
snowstorm paralyses North East US
A
heavy snowstorm pounded the northeastern United States on Sunday,
dropping snow, sleet, and freezing rain across the region and causing
plane delays as well as multi-car accidents on congested travel
routes.
RT,
9
December, 2013
Working
its way East after hitting Texas, the storm’s effects lingered into
Monday after some areas were struck with about a foot of snow.
Electrical outages and school closings/delays were the norm in areas
hit particularly hard, but it was travelers that suffered the
toughest setbacks.
According
to the Associated Press, roughly 2,800 flights were cancelled on
Sunday, while an additional 6,000 flights ended up delayed. The
delays leaked into Monday morning as well, when more than 1,200
flights were already cancelled. With area hotels already filled to
capacity near Philadelphia International Airport, some passengers
were handed blankets and pillows and spent the night in the airport.
In
Texas, still recovering from the storm, which hit two days ago, about
650 individuals continued to be stranded at Dallas/Forth Worth
International Airport.
A
tanker truck throws icy road spray on Interstate 66 in Manassas,
Virginia outside of Washington December 8, 2013. (Reuters / Gary
Cameron)
The
delays and cancellations may very well continue for airline
passengers, as another winter storm is scheduled to move from
Virginia and into New York City and Boston. The New York Post
reported that between three and six inches of snow are expected to
fall in the city early Tuesday morning.
"I
think the further north you look, departures and arrivals could be
affected because of icy issues,"
said National Weather Service meteorologist Greg Heavener to the AP.
"The
commute for people in the Philadelphia area and north, to northern
New Jersey and New York will likely be disrupted by freezing rain,"
he added.
A
SUV spins out of control and into a ditch on Interstate 66 in
Manassas, Virginia outside of Washington December 8, 2013. (Reuters /
Gary Cameron)
Indeed,
the situation for drivers wasn’t any better, as multi-car pileups
were reported in at least three states. Accidents involving 20 cars
or more occurred New York and Maryland, the latter of which saw a
tractor-trailer turn over and spill its contents onto the road. Near
Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Turnpike was essentially shut down for
seven hours after a deadly crash set off a chain reaction of 50
fender benders.
Meanwhile,
numerous power outages occurred in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia,
and Washington, D.C. The outages extended to Mississippi, too, where
freezing rain left thousands without electricity.
Even
entertainment seekers were affected by the storm, since heavy
snowfall struck three different NFL gameson Sunday. Snow began
floating down onto Philadelphia two hours before the Eagles hosted
the Detroit Lions, and it blanketed the field so much throughout the
rest of the game that yard markers were practically invisible. Snow
blowers and shovels were in use to clear off yard lines during the
game. Similar situations were also seen in Pittsburgh and Baltimore,
where even small tractors and shovel-wielding workers couldn’t
clear the football field before the game started.
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