Lots of snow and temperatures of up to minus 26 degrees Celsius: In the USA, at least 50 people have died due to extreme winter weather in the past two weeks. In Oregon, 75,000 people were without power.
The winter weather has been causing chaos in large parts of the USA for days with sub-zero temperatures, heavy snowfall, ice and cold winds. According to authorities, at least 50 people have died so far due to weather-related accidents and hypothermia.
In the southern state of Tennessee alone, authorities reported 17 deaths. Among them is a 25-year-old man who was found dead in the floor of a mobile home in Lewisburg. A space heater tipped over and turned off, the county sheriff’s office said. The walls were full of ice.
Broken water pipes, suspended operations
Days of cold have caused so many water pipes to break in the city of Memphis, Tennessee, that water pressure has dropped throughout the city. On Friday, all more than 400,000 residents were asked to boil water or use bottles to drink or brush their teeth.
Blood donations also decreased because of the winter weather. The central blood bank based in Tennessee therefore asked more than 70 hospitals in five states to suspend non-urgent operations for the time being.
The Middle and East of the USA are particularly affected
Kentucky’s governor confirmed five winter weather-related deaths on Friday. In the northwestern state of Oregon, three people were electrocuted when a power line fell on their parked car, according to the Portland Fire Department. The winter storm also left 75,000 people without power in Oregon, prompting the governor to declare a state of emergency.
According to police, five women were killed in an accident with a semi-trailer on a highway in Pennsylvania on Tuesday. Additional deaths were reported in the states of Illinois, Kansas, New Hampshire, New York, Wisconsin and Washington.
Two meters of snow in five days
Heavy snowstorms have been sweeping across the USA for days. The state of New York in the west of the country is particularly affected, where, according to meteorologists, almost two meters of fresh snow fell within five days near the city of Buffalo.
The icy weather also reached deep into the south of the country – a region not used to such weather conditions.
Due to the snowfall and arctic temperatures, many schools in the country remained closed. Air traffic is also restricted: According to the website Flightaware, more than 1,100 flights were canceled on Friday and another 8,000 were delayed.
The weekend will remain icy, then it will get warmer
On Friday, the National Weather Service warned of more dangerous winter storms and freezing temperatures in the central and eastern parts of the country. In large parts of Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky and Kansas, temperatures could drop to as low as -15 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 26 degrees Celsius).
Trees and power lines already covered in ice could fall if more ice forms, the National Weather Service warned. Falling chunks of ice will also continue to pose a danger.
It’s expected to get warmer again next week and the snow could thaw in many places. The National Weather Service warned of heavy rain in the south and isolated flooding.