Funviralpark A massive winter storm hit much of the United States on Saturday, bringing freezing temperatures and heavy snow on Christmas Eve, killing nearly 20 people and powering out hundreds of thousands.
Here’s what you need to know about the powerful Arctic front.
At least 23 dead in storm
At least 23 people were killed in the storm as of Saturday night, according to NBC News, due to unsafe driving conditions, delays in emergency services and exposure to the cold.
Four people were killed in a 46-vehicle crash in Ohio on Friday, and five people were killed in other crashes in Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri earlier this week.
Three people died in Erie County, New York. Blizzard conditions prevented emergency services from providing medical services to both of her in time.
A man in Colorado Springs, Colorado, reportedly died trying to escape freezing temperatures, while two more died from environmental exposure in Denver.
Hundreds of thousands of people without power in North Carolina
Nearly 340,000 people were without power in Carolina on Saturday due to rolling blackouts, according to the Washington Post.
Duke Energy, which serves customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, said that “extreme cold weather and ensuing demand for power across the country has caused power It’s a tight squeeze,” he said. release.
As of Saturday night, energy companies had restored power to most of North Carolina, with only about 14,000 people without power.
Ho Chul sends National Guard to hard-hit Buffalo
New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, deployed the National Guard to Erie County Friday night as the Buffalo area continues to face snowstorm conditions.
“This could be the worst storm in the history of our community,” Erie County Administrator Mark Polonkers told The New York Times on Saturday.
Buffalo had a blizzard warning as of Saturday night, and emergency workers are still working to rescue stranded motorists, according to The Times.
Flight cancellations leave travelers stranded on Christmas Eve
More than 3,300 flights were canceled on Christmas Eve, according to commercial flight tracker FlightAware.
Cancellations left thousands of travelers stranded over the holiday weekend, but Saturday was better than the day before. ) was canceled.
Buttigieg tweeted: “While the impact continues today, the FAA expects the most severe disruptions to have passed as airline and airport operations are gradually restored.
