At least 14 Tennesseans have died as a result of a bitterly cold winter storm that dumped snow across the southern state this week, officials said.
Parts of Nashville have seen more than 9 inches of snow since Sunday — nearly double the city’s annual snowfall average.
Even as the debris stopped falling, temperatures plunged below zero in parts of the state, creating the largest power demand ever experienced by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which serves seven states in the region.
Authorities have warned that a new layer of thin ice could close already dangerous roads on Thursday night, when temperatures will again drop into the single digits.
Tennessee has seen the most deaths of any state in the entire US, where more than two dozen have fallen victim to the wintry weather this week.
The deaths included a box truck driver who was killed after he crashed into a tractor trailer on the interstate; a man who fell through a skylight while shoveling the roof of his business; and a woman died of hypothermia after she was found unresponsive in her home, officials said.
There were at least three fatal car crashes caused by the storm, according to the Tennessee Highway Patrol. There were an additional 200 wrecks that caused injuries and 600 where no one was injured, the agency said.
At least 14 deaths in Tennessee have been linked to the storm system that blanketed the state in snow. AP People help drivers stranded during storm in Nashville. AP workers in Portland are trying to restore power to the area after the storm. AP
Shelby County, home to Memphis, reported the most deaths midweek with five. However, details remain limited about the 14 deaths in the state due to privacy concerns for the victims’ families.
Cory Mueller, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Nashville said that another cold snap is expected this weekend — making Monday the first chance for a significant thaw.
“At least in Tennessee, it takes a while to clear the roads,” Mueller said. “With the cold temperatures, that causes the snow to stay on the roads longer.”
Meanwhile, the snow-covered Pacific Northwest is also facing dangerous weather again as freezing rain and winds up to 40 mph are expected to lash parts of Oregon on Thursday night.
A fishing boat ran aground after a storm in Portland. AP The Tennessee State Capitol is covered in snow following a storm system. AP workers clear snow in Portland after heavy storm. AP
Most Portland-area school districts canceled classes for the third day in a row because of slick roads and water damage from broken frozen pipes.
On Wednesday, two adults and a teenager were electrocuted in Portland after a tree and power lines fell on a truck as strong winds swept through the city.
In Western New York, three people have died during the icy weather over the past three days – two killed while clearing snow and a third struck by a car while sliding snow from his car, state officials said. The travel ban was finally lifted in the area on Thursday.
Five New York women from the same family were struck and killed by a tractor-trailer on Interstate 81 in northeastern Pennsylvania after they abandoned their vehicles following separate accidents on slick roads.
By Postal Wire
Categories: Trending
Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
