Kayla Epsteinnew york city
Several people have died in a winter storm that hit a wide area of the United States, causing thousands of flights to be canceled or delayed due to the conditions.
The storm, which caused chaos from Texas to the tip of Maine over the weekend, blocked roads, knocked out power and buried major cities under a thick layer of snow.
At least a dozen people have died in several US states. Some areas of the northeast saw more than 20 inches (50.8 cm) of snow in the past 24 hours, according to the National Weather Service (NWS), and Canadian officials said the storm has severely disrupted southern Ontario.
Forecasters warn that another “major winter storm” could hit the eastern United States again this weekend.
More than 200,000 people were without power in Tennessee as of Monday afternoon. The city experienced a severe freeze that plunged residents into the cold and darkness.
“There are a lot of downed trees and power lines blocking the roads.” Joy Flores, vice president of the Nashville Rescue Mission homeless shelter, told the BBC. Their center was receiving calls from residents who had lost power.
The roads were icy and impossible to navigate, Flores said, and his own home “had no heat, no internet, no coffee.”
In New York City, a total of eight people died between Friday and Monday morning, according to city officials, as temperatures fell into the single digits.
New York City’s Central Park recorded 11.4 inches of snow as of Monday morning, according to the NWS.
In Texas, a teenage girl died and another is in critical condition due to a sledding accident, the Frisco Police Department announced.
In North Carolina, a man was found dead on the side of a road in Buncombe County and authorities are investigating whether his death was weather-related. And the Louisiana health department said two people had died due to hypothermia.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healy warned state residents Monday that it’s “not over yet,” with between one and five inches of snow expected on Monday.
In Canada, Ottawa and Quebec suffered the greatest impacts from the storm, causing transportation problems and multiple school closures.
Toronto’s Pearson Airport received 18.1 inches (46 cm) of snow on Sunday, a new record for the site, according to the CBC.
On Monday, U.S. airline customers continued to experience frustrations and delays. Airlines experienced more than 19,000 delays on Monday, according to FlightAware, and 5,900 cancellations.
Relief may not come soon. According to the NWS, “the potential for another winter storm is increasing” starting Friday. Such an event could bring very cold temperatures across the eastern United States and “widespread heavy precipitation.”
The US weather agency warned that forecasters did not yet know the storm’s potential path or where it would have the greatest impact.
