Tuesday, January 23, 2024
Year : 2, Issue : 4
Freezing conditions have brought widespread disruption to the Midwest, coastal states and parts of the South over the past week – and more is forecast in the coming days.
Dozens of people have now died in winter storms across the US following days of freezing conditions. At least 95 deaths have been linked to the weather over the past week, with many killed by hypothermia or car crashes, according to US media. Weather warnings in place on Monday cover areas where a total of 57 million people live, NBC News reported.
With snow and ice coating many regions, 27 people have died in Tennessee alone, with Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas among the other states affected. The victims include three people – among them a pregnant woman.
In Lewisburg, Tennessee, a 25-year-old man was found dead on the floor of a mobile home after his electric heater overturned and switched off. Multiple crashes on the roads have also been reported in many states.
A state of emergency was declared in the state of Oregon on Friday – and remains in place – with officials warning of the threat of flooding, high winds, landslides and power cuts.
More than 600,000 residents in Memphis have been ordered to boil their tap water before use for the last four days after thousands of pipes burst during sub-freezing temperatures. Officials warned there is a risk that low pressure in the system, coupled with water main leaks, could allow harmful bacteria to contaminate supplies.
More than 10 million households in Tennessee, which has been blanketed in several inches of snow, have also been urged to conserve energy to avoid rolling blackouts. Meanwhile, in Mississippi, officials warned locals they risked “frostbite and hypothermia” if they stayed outside for too long.
Even Los Angeles, California, has been drenched by heavy rain in recent days, with officials issuing an evacuation order in nearby Topanga Canyon amid fears of potential muddy landslides.
Freezing conditions are forecast to continue in parts of the South and Midwest until at least Wednesday.
Source: Sky News, UK
