At least seven people are confirmed dead from the massive snowstorm that slammed several Great Lakes states.
The storm has dumped massive amounts of snow on New York including six feet of snow on the Buffalo area. A state of emergency exists for 10 counties in New York.
“This storm is an extraordinarily difficult situation, with snowfall that may break records. We are prepared, but we need residents to stay off the roads so that first responders can do their work and keep people safe,” New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo said.
“Although the sun may be shining, we are using this opening to clear roads before the snow begins falling again. This is an opportunity to be a good neighbor and check on your fellow New Yorkers to see if they need assistance, but I urge everyone to stay off the road.”
One of the deaths was a 46-year-old man found inside a buried car. A Pennsylvania man was killed when a high lift attempting to free the man’s car ended up pinning him to the car.
Forecasters say that another two to three feet of snow could hit the Buffalo area.
The first major snowstorm of the season struck Maine Sunday night leaving over 135,000 without power.
The National Weather Service said that Bangor, Maine received 12 inches of snow before the storm weakened and some outlying areas reported more than a foot. A Portland television station reported they passed a foot by 5:30 p.m.
Heavy snow and gusty winds combined to bring down trees, snapping power lines and in some cases poles. Roads across Bangor were closed because of the downed lines blocking major roadways.
Power officials hope to have all the darkened customers back on by Wednesday.
“The utility placed extra crews on standby for the weekend in anticipation of the storm,” Emera spokesman Bob Potts said in a news release. “They will remain in the field addressing problems and working to restore service to customers as safely and quickly as possible.”
Emera had 57,000 customers without power in their region.
Forecasters say the temperatures will rise into the 50s by midweek so the snow will quickly disappear.
A fun outing for two Idaho fathers and their children turned into a nightmare when their SUV ended up stuck in the snow.
The men and their children ended up walking 19 miles in the bitter cold for nine hours to reach help.
Will Murkle and his 10-year-old daughter Megun were traveling with John Julian and his 8-year-old daughter Samantha and 7-year-old son Isaac when they realized they had no cellphone service or supplies after the accident.
The group said they sang songs to try and pass the time during the hike and would huddle together for warmth. They said the only time they really became scared was around midnight when they found fresh wolf tracks in the snow along their path.
“We could tell wolves had been in the area recently,” Murkle told ABC. The group ended up not encountering any wolves.
The fathers said they promised the children cheeseburgers, hot chocolate, fries and soda after the walk was over.
10-year-old Megun said she won’t be leaving the house again without an extra blanket, sleeping bags, food and water.
Heavy storms continued throughout Israel on Friday, causing traffic disruptions and power outages across the country, floods in southern regions, a brief closure of Ben-Gurion International Airport, and a measure of excitement among the nation’s many snow-lovers.
Thousands of people in and around Jerusalem were left without power. A hastily assembled array of relief services, beefed up by Israeli army troops, came to the aid of hundreds of motorists who were trapped in their vehicles, some for up to 10 hours.
Speaking on the radio, Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat described the snowstorm as a “tsunami,” for which the municipality was unprepared. The city set up several improvised snow-havens, granting shelter to hundreds of the snowed-in masses, many of whom had come to the capital to celebrate what is usually a much less torrid event.
Roads to and from Jerusalem were closed Thursday night and school there was cancelled for Friday as the heaviest December storm since 1953 fell on the capital city.
Source: Haaretz – Massive snowstorm shuts down Jerusalem
The biggest December snow and rain storm in the modern history of Israel and the Palestinian territories hit on Wednesday night. Now a storm three times worse is bearing down on the epicenter.
For the many of the kids of Jerusalem, the storm has been much fun. Building snow men. Having snow ball fights. Sledding. Walking through and playing in the cold white stuff they rarely experience. Continue reading →
Tens of thousands of homes around Israel were left without electricity Friday as severe winter storms continued to batter the country.
More than 25 thousand families in Jerusalem and surrounding areas were cut off from power, Israel Radio reported. Continue reading →
The major storm making its way across the U.S. is now officially blamed for 11 deaths as it bears down on the East Coast in sync with Thanksgiving travel times.
Over half the deaths are in Texas with most released to ice covered roads. One woman was killed when a tree weighed down by ice fell onto her car.
The National Weather Service has issued winter storm warnings for large parts of the eastern United States through Wednesday afternoon. Forecasters predict big delays at some of the nation’s largest airports – New York, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Boston and Charlotte, North Carolina – are very likely.
Thanksgiving is one of the peak travel times of the year. Airlines for America, the industry’s lobbying group, say this year could see the most air travellers since 2007 with an estimated 2.56 million passengers. AAA estimates as many as 39 million people will be traveling by car Wednesday and Thursday.
The storm is expected to bring heavy rain to the south that could cause delays at southern airports like Atlanta.
Peru’s government has ordered a state of emergency after a freak cold spell has caused the deaths of two people and tens of thousands of animals.
In addition to the two deaths, officials say at least 33,000 people have had to receive some kind of assistance because of the weather. Continue reading →
Government officials throughout the northeast U.S. are telling residents to “stock up” on supplies and to prepare for extended power outages as a massive winter storm moves into the region.
The National Weather Service says two separate weather systems are combining over New England and says the storm could be “historic.” The storm will start Friday and is not expected to peak until Saturday morning somewhere over Massachusetts. Continue reading →
A duel set of storms, one a blizzard that hit the northern part of the US, and the other an outbreak of tornadoes in the south, has left at least 15 people dead and dozens more homeless or injured.
In addition, hundreds of thousands of people are without power in the northeast and upper Midwest due to heavy snow, ice and winds. Continue reading →
