close_game
close_game

Five dead as winter storm Blair wreaks havoc across US

Jan 07, 2025 06:36 AM IST

Freezing temperatures across major parts of the central and eastern US disrupted rail and road travel and caused mass flight cancellations.

At least five people died in separate incidents across the United States due to a blast of winter storm caused by sweeping cold air from the North Pole.

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 06: Crews work before dawn to clear snow East Front Plaza of the U.S. Capitol as a winter storm slams into the nation's capital on January 06, 2025 in Washington, DC.(AFP)
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 06: Crews work before dawn to clear snow East Front Plaza of the U.S. Capitol as a winter storm slams into the nation's capital on January 06, 2025 in Washington, DC.(AFP)

Freezing temperatures across major parts of the central and eastern US disrupted rail and road travel and caused mass flight cancellations, reported news agency the Associated Press.

Seven US states -Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky and Arkansas -had declared a state of emergency.

Also read | ‘Bone-chilling cold’: 63 million hit by massive winter storm in US, 2 states declare emergency

US winter storm deaths

An SUV lost control and rolled down an embankment in Kansas' Wichita, leading to two deaths.

In another incident in the state, a pickup truck driver was killed when his vehicle got stuck in the ice.

A third person died in a storm-related traffic accident. Kansas Highway Patrol reported over 200 storm-related road crashes from Saturday morning to Monday morning.

In Virginia's Wakefield, a 32-year-old man died when his truck lost traction on the road and struck a tree. Among other factors, police said, the man was driving “too fast” for a snow-laden roadway.

Also read | Trump is certified as the winner of the 2024 election without challenge

In West Virginia, a tractor-trailer hit a woman and another vehicle that pulled over to help. The 25-year-old driver died later at a hospital. Police said the weather was a major reason.

Storm disrupts life across US

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport saw a record 8 inches of snowfall on Sunday.

Flight tracking website FlightAware reported over 800 cancellations or delays from Reagan National Airport and Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C.

More than 300 flights were disrupted at Baltimore-Washington International Airport. 730 were affected in Chicago O’Hare International.

Maryland emergency troopers reported at least 475 calls for service, including 123 reported crashes and 156 unattended vehicles.

Ice-coated trees fell over power lines and blocked roads, leaving more than 250,000 people without power early Monday in Kentucky, Indiana, Virginia, West Virginia, Illinois, and Missouri.

A huge mass of ultra-cold air, called the polar vortex, usually spins around the North Pole but sometimes plunges southward into the US, Europe, and Asia. Scientists say the fast-warming Arctic is partly to blame for the increasing frequency with which the polar vortex extends its grip.

(With AP inputs)

rec-icon Recommended Topics
Share this article
Read breaking news, latest updates from US, UK, Pakistan and other countries across the world on topics related to politics,crime, and national affairs along with Super Bowl 2025 Live Updates.
See More
Read breaking news, latest updates from US, UK, Pakistan and other countries across the world on topics related to politics,crime, and national affairs along with Super Bowl 2025 Live Updates.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Monday, February 17, 2025
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On