Nine dead, more than 1,000 flights cancelled, power out as severe winter storms hit the United States
- Storms have pushed from Texas through the Southeast and Great Lakes into Maine
At least nine people died, more than 1,000 flights were cancelled and hundreds of thousands were without power in seven states on Saturday as a massive winter storm system dumped snow, freezing rain and hail from Texas to Michigan.
Hurricane-force wind gusts, golf-ball-sized hail and 2 to 5 inches (5-13cm) of snow fell on Friday night and early Saturday as storms pushed from Texas through the Southeast and Great Lakes into Maine, the National Weather Service (NWS) said.
More snow with accumulations between 6 to 12 inches was expected through Sunday in parts of Illinois, Michigan, northern New York and New England.
“The real danger comes from the wind and ice accumulation,” said NWS forecaster Bob Oravec in College Park Maryland.
More than half an inch of ice was predicted to cake motorways and roads across the South and Northeast from Saturday night to Sunday morning, he said.
“The ice and wind will make driving treacherous, and trees can snap and knock out power and do other damage,” he said.