New Delhi: As the United States battles a severe winter storm, at least 28 people have died, reported Sky News. Temperatures have dropped well below freezing due to the blizzard, which has knocked out power to nearly 300,000 homes and businesses. Blizzard conditions have struck the Great Lakes on the border between the United States and Canada as a result of a bomb cyclone, which occurs when atmospheric pressure falls.
On Saturday, more than 3,000 flights were canceled, and some airports were closed. Many authorities issued travel warnings due to the icy conditions on the roads, and hundreds of people who did go out ended up stuck in their cars.
Three people died in car accidents in Kentucky and three in Oklahoma, two of which occurred as the snow was being blown by the wind.
The National Weather Service issued a warning in Montana that up to 20.3 cm of snow and winds of up to 90 mph could fall on the eastern slope of Glacier National Park, as well as the foothills and plains that are nearby.
Earlier in the storm, the remote town of Havre, also in Montana, experienced a low of -39 C (38 F), while Montana saw temperatures of -45.6 C (-50 F).
More than 107,000 homes and businesses in Maine are without power, and utility executives have warned that it could be days before the supply is fully restored. In other states, customers have been asked to reduce their usage to avoid widespread blackouts.
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According to the reports of AP, Hurricane-force winds and snow caused whiteout conditions, paralyzed emergency response efforts (New York Gov. Kathy Hochul stated that nearly every fire truck in the city was stranded), and shut down the airport until Monday, according to officials, as the storm unleashed its full force on Buffalo. At 7 a.m. on Sunday, the National Weather Service reported that there had been 43 inches (109 centimeters) of snow at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport.
On Saturday, Buffalonians were forced to flee their homes in search of places with heat due to the freezing weather and power outages that had been in place for a day. Yet, with city roads under a thick cover of white, that wasn’t a possibility for individuals like Jeremy Manahan, who charged his telephone in his left vehicle after very nearly 29 hours without power.
“There’s one warming shelter, but that would be too far for me to get to. I can’t drive, obviously, because I’m stuck,” Manahan said. “And you can’t be outside for more than 10 minutes without getting frostbit,” quoted by AP.