Thousands of flights in the US scheduled for the weekend were canceled because of a powerful storm that hit many American states and caused transportation chaos, cutting power and blocking major roads on Saturday, the Associated Press reported.
About 140 million people, or more than 40 percent of the US population, are on high alert due to adverse winter conditions in several states.
The National Weather Service predicts heavy snowfall and freezing rain from Saturday to Monday, stretching from the southern state of New Mexico to the northeastern part of the US.
“The snow and ice will melt very, very slowly and will not disappear anytime soon“, said meteorologist Allison Santorelli.
President Donald Trump has approved a state of emergency declaration in at least 18 states. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has pre-positioned search and rescue supplies and teams in many states, Homeland Security Secretary Christie Noam said.
“We ask everyone to be sensible - stay home if possible,“ she urged.
As crews in some southern states began working to restore downed power lines, authorities in some eastern states issued final warnings to residents on Saturday.
“We are expecting a storm the likes of which we haven't seen in years,” New Jersey Governor Mickey Sherrill said on Saturday, announcing restrictions on commercial vehicle traffic and a 35 mph (56 km/h) speed limit on highways. “This is a good weekend to stay home,“ she said.
According to forecasters, the damage from the severe weather, especially in areas affected by icing, can be compared to that of a hurricane.
About 120,000 power outages were recorded on Saturday, including about 50,000 in Texas and Louisiana, according to data from the specialized website poweroutage.us.
According to the air traffic tracking website “FlightAware“ (FlightAware) about 13,000 flights have been canceled this weekend in the United States.
All flights at Oklahoma City International Airport on Saturday and Sunday morning have been canceled.
At Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, a major transportation hub, more than 700 departing flights and nearly as many landings were canceled on Saturday.
Traffic disruptions were also reported at airports in Chicago, Atlanta, Nashville and Charlotte, North Carolina.
Almost all departing flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport were canceled. in Washington, scheduled for Sunday, have also been canceled.
Georgia authorities advised people in northern parts of the state not to travel and to be prepared with supplies for at least 48 hours.
Georgia could be hit by "probably the largest ice storm in more than a decade," followed by unusually cold temperatures, said senior state meteorologist Will Lankston.
Crews have begun treating highways with salt water, with 1,800 workers working 12-hour shifts, Georgia Department of Transportation spokesman Russell McMurray said.
After moving through the southern states, the storm is expected to head northeast, bringing about 12 to 24 inches of snow from Washington through New York to Boston, the U.S. National Weather Service said. service.