From January 22nd to January 27, the US got hit by one of the greatest snowstorms in years. This snowstorm brought heavy snowfall, freezing weather, and inconvenience from the South to the Northeast.
The snow was record-breaking for some places, with more than 20 inches in many places in New England. Power lines caused major damage due to the icy weather.
More than 1,000,000 homes and buildings were without power due to the storm across the country. Some states, like Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana, had no power and heaters for days, which is especially punishing in such cold weather.
Not only homes, but many ways of transportation were heavily sabotaged. Over 10,000 flights were canceled due to the snow, and countless roads have been closed. Many schools in New England switched to online learning or completely shut down due to unsafe travel conditions.
The storm caused lots of casualties across the country. Since January 22nd, over 60 people have died due to reasons related to the storm. These deaths are all weather-related accidents, such as car accidents due to icy roads, falls while clearing snow, or simply exposure to cold.
States issued emergency declarations in affected areas and opened warming centers for people who don’t have access to a heater or shelter. Researchers said that this snowstorm is a record-breaking in terms of the impact it brought to hundreds of millions of people.
Due to the widespread focus on global warming, a snowstorm this size is certainly unexpected. This winter snowstorm certainly showed the people how destructive severe weather could be, causing countless inconveniences and casualties.
