At least 10 dead as storms batter US, leaving millions without power
At least 10 people have died as a wild storm swept across the US, causing travel chaos and severe disruption from the south to the northeastern corners of America.
Golf ball-sized hail and tornadoes wreaked havoc as a severe weather front made landfall this week, toppling trucks and leaving millions without power in several states.
Further torrential rains and heavy snowfall are expected next week as states such as Kentucky, Alabama and Arkansas are still reeling from the destruction.
Californians in the San Bernadino Valley have been warned to avoid the mountains after 5 feet of snow dumped in the region, leaving residents stranded.
And at least three Kentuckians have died in the chaos, while officials report other deaths in Alabama, Mississippi and California.
Severe weather and high winds wreaked havoc across the US. Pictured: The roof of a La Azteca grocery store in Little Elm, Texas, collapsed Thursday during powerful thunderstorms
California is covered in up to 5 feet of snow amid the weather chaos
LA residents have experienced the rare sight of the famous Hollywood sign-adorned snow
Millions of people are without power as a weather front continues to sweep across numerous states
More than 60 million people were threatened by severe storms on Friday, with another 20 million from Texas to Pennsylvania currently under high wind warnings.
The widespread storm left millions of people stranded in their homes as large numbers of residents in Kentucky, Michigan, Tennessee, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Alabama were all left without power, according to PowerOutage.us.
One of the deaths in Kentucky reportedly occurred after a tree fell on a vehicle, while high winds have also sent trailer trucks flying across the Midwest.
Southern Indiana is also one of the regions affected by the severe weather, which has been blowing in from Texas and along both U.S. coasts.
The National Weather Service said the storm will continue moving north through the weekend, producing “a swath of heavy snow from the Upper Midwest to New England.”
“Significant sleet and freezing rain may be just south of the heaviest snow,” it added.
Travel chaos is expected to plague residents of the Upper Midwest through the Great Lakes next week, with further blackouts possible, the forecaster said.
Widespread torrential rain has been falling across the Midwest since Thursday night, with 4 to 5 inches already this week.
Flash flood warnings have been put in place over a 400-mile area stretching from Arkansas, Tennessee, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky and Indiana.
More than 20 million people are under water watch heading into the weekend.
“Prolonged heavy rain associated with training downpours and thunderstorms could also trigger flash flooding across much of the Mid-Mississippi and Ohio Valleys extending east into the Mid-Atlantic,” the Weather Prediction Center said Friday morning.
Significant damage has been seen in the US as a wild weather front sweeps across the country. Pictured: A damaged home in the aftermath of a tornado in Jackson Parish, Louisiana
Significant damage has been seen in the US as a wild weather front sweeps across the country. Pictured: A damaged home in the aftermath of a tornado in Jackson Parish, Louisiana
The high winds also toppled large numbers of trees, killing several people
San Bernadino, California’s State Route 38 is covered in snow Thursday with high snowdrifts lining the tree-lined road
The Big Bear Mountain Resort in the San Bernadino Mountains received more than 10 feet of snow
The Storm Prediction Center also issued a tornado warning for more than eight million people in southwestern Virginia, eastern Tennessee, Louisiana, North and South Carolina and northern Georgia.
Severe devastation has been reported across the U.S. in recent days, including a 55 mph tornado confirmed Saturday in Reidland, Kentucky.
Wind gusts also led to the death of a man in Talladega County, Alabama, on Friday after a tree fell on 70-year-old Allen Cooley’s truck with him in it.
Up to 12 inches of snow could fall on both coasts of the US in the coming days, with between 6 and 12 inches forecast for New York and New England, while the West Coast continues to suffer heavy snowfall.
Freezing rain and sleet are also expected to batter New England and surrounding areas, where several states have already been hit by golf ball-sized hail.
In California, residents of the San Bernadino Mountains have been trapped for more than a week after 5 meters of snow fell in the area.
Sheriff Shannon Dicus warned the public to “stay out of the local mountains,” as deputies continue to work tirelessly to rescue those trapped in the conditions.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency to aid in the recovery as supplies in the area are reportedly running low by mid-week.
“Roofs are collapsing everywhere, people need help and rescue. All stores are running out of food and water. The gas stations are barely out of gas,” Lake Arrowhead resident Miyah Nelson told KTLA.
“We need to clear our roads so people can leave their homes. They’re all trapped.’
An avalanche hit an apartment building in the area around 7 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Sierra Sun, and numerous photos from across the state showed people snowbound with white walls climbing above doors and up to second-story windows.
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