Blizzard pounds US Northeast, millions under alerts

A powerful winter storm has begun battering the northeastern United States, placing nearly 59 million people under weather alerts, triggering widespread power outages, and prompting a travel ban in New York City.

States of emergency have been declared in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, and Rhode Island, News.Az reports, citing BBC.

Several states have imposed travel restrictions as blizzard conditions intensify, and thousands of flights have been canceled.

Forecasters say the storm will affect much of the northeastern US and the Canadian Maritimes from Sunday evening through Monday. It is expected to be the most powerful nor’easter to hit the region in nearly a decade, bringing heavy snowfall, strong winds, and coastal flooding.

Around 40 million people are under blizzard warnings, while another 19 million are covered by winter storm warnings stretching from the Central Appalachians to coastal Maine.

According to the National Weather Service, snowfall rates could reach 2–3 inches per hour, with total accumulations between 1 and 2 feet in some areas, creating “nearly impossible” travel conditions. Coastal regions in New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island are expected to face the most severe impacts.

Power outages are mounting, with more than 20,000 customers without electricity in New Jersey and thousands more affected in Virginia, Delaware, and Maryland, according to PowerOutage.us. Flight-tracking service FlightAware reported about 3,900 US flight cancellations on Sunday, along with hundreds of delays.

In Rhode Island, Governor Dan McKee imposed a statewide travel ban, authorized activation of the National Guard if necessary, and ordered state offices closed Monday. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill declared a state of emergency and suspended all bus, light rail, and Access Link transit services beginning Sunday evening, warning it could be the worst storm since 1996.

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont issued an emergency order prohibiting commercial vehicles from traveling on highways until further notice. Massachusetts, Delaware, and Rhode Island also declared emergencies ahead of the storm, while Boston closed schools.

In Pennsylvania, Governor Josh Shapiro signed a disaster declaration and urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel. Around Washington, DC, some school districts announced closures, and federal offices delayed opening, allowing employees to work remotely.

In Canada, parts of Nova Scotia’s eastern coast are forecast to experience the storm’s strongest effects, with weather warnings in place.

News.Az 

By Nijat Babayev