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Freezing storm batters large parts of US wreaking death and disruption Freezing storm batters large parts of US wreaking death and disruption
(about 1 hour later)
A large swath of the US is experiencing frigid temperatures, sleet, snow and ice this weekend and several deaths have been reported, most a result of treacherous driving conditions. More than a thousand flights have been cancelled, numerous football and basketball games postponed and holiday celebrations – including tree lightings and parades – curtailed. Millions of people hunkered down for icy conditions expected to last through the weekend from Texas to Ohio to Tennessee, as the cold snap that covered much of the US knocked out power and made roads treacherous on Saturday.
Four homeless people have died of hypothermia in the San Francisco Bay Area since last week, authorities said. One victim was found dead on 28 November and the other deaths were discovered in the last two days, Santa Clara County sheriff's Lieutenant Dave Lera said at a news conference on Friday afternoon. Lera said three of the victims died at homeless encampments in San Jose, while a fourth died in a garage "with the door opened". Face-stinging sleet, thick snow and blustery winds led to slick road conditions, school closures and event cancellations as the wintry blast dropped temperatures to freezing and below overnight.
Temperatures in San Jose fell to -1C (30F) on Friday morning, breaking the record low of 0C (32F) for that date, which was set in 1904. A treacherous section of icy Interstate 35 about 50 miles north of Dallas has been closed intermittently for as long as five hours, as tractor-trailers were unable to climb a hill and then clogged the busy highway, Texas Department of Transportation spokeswoman Michelle Releford said. The backup can extend for miles.
Authorities elsewhere also reported deaths. In Arkansas, one person died in Pope County when a tree fell on a camper, near Dover. Another was killed when his car hit a tree in a single-vehicle crash on an icy road, though state police said he may have had a medical problem that contributed to the crash. As many as 44,000 Arkansas homes and businesses were without power. Three traffic-related deaths were reported, one in Arlington, Texas, and two in Oklahoma. Police in Arlington, about 20 miles west of Dallas, reported one driver was killed when his car slammed into a truck.
Two people were killed on treacherous roads in Indiana, where schools and businesses were closed as a storm that dumped ice and as much as 10 inches of snow stretched into its second day on Friday. In Missouri, a dangerous mix of snow, ice and sleet hammered the southern part of the state for a second straight day and caused numerous accidents, including a crash that killed a small-town mayor. In New Mexico, a Sandoval County sheriff's sergeant died after being struck by a vehicle on Interstate 25 while directing traffic after a snowstorm. Sgt Robert Baron had been with the sheriff's department for seven years. About 117,000 customers in the Dallas area were without power on Saturday morning and more than 350 departing flights from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport had been cancelled, the airport said. About 3,330 passengers had stayed overnight in the terminals.
In Oklahoma, officials said at least two deaths were caused by the storm. A five-year-old boy from Fort Gibson was killed on Thursday in a vehicle crash, and Oklahoma City police reported that an unidentified man was discovered dead under an overpass. In California, four people died of hypothermia in the San Francisco Bay Area while the region was gripped by freezing temperatures. Freezing rain and sleet are likely again Saturday night in Memphis, Nashville and other areas of Tennessee before the storm starts surging northeast.
In Texas, more than 117,000 electricity customers were without power on Saturday morning, down from about a quarter of a million on Friday. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport cancelled nearly 1,000 flights on Friday and more than 350 departing flights had been cancelled on Saturday morning. About 3,330 passengers stayed the night in the airport's terminals. Virginia officials warned residents of a major ice storm likely to take shape Sunday, resulting in power outages and hazards on the roads. A State Department of Emergency Management spokeswoman, Laura Southard, said the storm had the potential to be a "historic ice event".
The weather forced the cancellation of Sunday's Dallas Marathon, which was expected to draw 25,000 runners, some of whom had trained for months. Around 7in of snow fell in northeast Arkansas and the Missouri boot heel, according to the National Weather Service in Memphis. Ice accumulated on trees and power lines in Memphis and the rest of West Tennessee after layers of sleet fell throughout the region Friday. The weather service says 8 to 9in fell in parts of southern Indiana.
The storm dumped a foot of snow and more in some areas of Illinois, with police scrambling to respond to dozens of accidents and forced scores of schools to remain closed. Western and central Kentucky were under winter storm warnings slated to last through early Saturday. With warmer temperatures expected in eastern Kentucky, forecasters issued a flood watch into Saturday morning.
In Tennessee, ice had built up on the windshields and roofs of parked cars throughout Memphis into Saturday. Law enforcement reported an increase in traffic crashes, and scattered power outages affected more than 3,000 people, emergency and utility officials said. Residents were told to prepare for a few days without power, prompting them to rush to stores to stock up on groceries, buy electricity generators and gas up their cars. Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell reminded residents to check on family and friends who are elderly, disabled or live alone.
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