U.S. storm leaves 217,000 without power, forces thousands of flight cancellations

A massive winter storm swept across much of the United States over the weekend, prompting the cancellation of more than 4,000 flights on Saturday and leaving over 210,000 customers without power from Texas to the Southeast. The storm, bringing snow, sleet, freezing rain, and record-low temperatures, led President Donald Trump to approve federal emergency disaster declarations in 12 states, while 17 states and the District of Columbia declared weather emergencies. The National Weather Service warned of heavy ice accumulation in the Southeast with “crippling to locally catastrophic impacts,” and dangerously cold wind chills were expected to spread into the Great Plains by Monday. Airlines including Delta, JetBlue, and United proactively canceled thousands of flights, and electric grid operators took measures to prevent widespread blackouts, including emergency backup generation in Texas. Officials urged residents to take precautions, stock up on food and fuel, and stay safe as utility crews worked to restore power amid the historic winter conditions.

Credit : CGTN