Eastern Storm Cuts Power to Tens of Thousands as California Braces for Flooding
Storm System Brings Heavy Snow and Freezing Rain to the East Coast
A powerful storm system dumped heavy snow and freezing rain on a swath of the eastern United States, causing hundreds of traffic accidents, knocking out power to tens of thousands of customers, and threatening to flood waterways as temperatures began to rise on Wednesday.
According to the National Weather Service, the storm brought more than 14 inches of snow to Iron Gate, a tiny Appalachian town in western Virginia, and 12 inches to White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, a small city about 65 miles to the west.
Flooding Threat
The snow-and-ice mix is expected to become rain by Wednesday afternoon as temperatures climb, and concerns about flooding emerged as rain and melting snow wash into rivers and streams in regions already saturated from previous storms.
“A flood threat through Thursday morning stretches from eastern Tennessee to southwestern Virginia into other parts of the South,” said Vance Joyner, a weather service meteorologist in Blacksburg, Virginia.
Hundreds of Accidents
In Kentucky, snowy roads caused a head-on fatal crash Tuesday in Nelson County, south of Louisville. The driver lost control of their car going into a curve, crossed the center line of the road, and hit an oncoming semi-truck head-on, according to the county’s emergency management director, Brad Metcalf. The driver died at the scene.
In Virginia, where Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency, the state police reported about 850 crashes on Tuesday and Wednesday, dozens of which involved injuries. An agency spokesperson said it’s unknown if the weather caused the crashes.
Power Outages
By Wednesday, more than 190,000 customers in Virginia and nearly 16,000 in North Carolina had lost electricity, according to PowerOutage.us. Appalachian Power, which serves a million customers in West Virginia, Virginia, and Tennessee, said Tuesday that it had 5,400 workers trying to restore power.
Mess to the West
Points farther west weren’t spared the wintry mess. A separate storm system was expected to dump heavy snow on an area stretching from Oklahoma to the Great Lakes on Wednesday, the weather service said.
California Rain
Light rain began falling Wednesday in California as the state prepared for a strong atmospheric river. Over the next several days, the long band of water vapor that transports moisture from the tropics to northern latitudes is expected to bring downpours, powerful winds, and mountain snow. The San Francisco Bay Area could get up to 5 inches of rain before the storm moves out Friday, the weather service said.
Conclusion
The storm system has brought widespread disruptions to the eastern United States, with power outages, accidents, and flooding threats. Meanwhile, the West Coast is bracing for heavy rain and snow from an atmospheric river. As the situation continues to unfold, it’s essential to stay informed and take necessary precautions to ensure safety.
FAQs
* What caused the power outages in the eastern United States?
+ The storm system brought heavy snow and freezing rain, causing widespread power outages.
* How many people lost electricity in Virginia and North Carolina?
+ Over 190,000 customers in Virginia and nearly 16,000 in North Carolina lost electricity.
* What is the flooding threat in the eastern United States?
+ A flood threat is expected through Thursday morning, stretching from eastern Tennessee to southwestern Virginia into other parts of the South.
