At least 16 U.S. states have declared a state of emergency in anticipation of a storm expected to hit much of the United States, bringing heavy snowfall and Arctic temperatures, ABC reported last night.
A state of emergency has so far been declared by Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia, while the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., has also declared a state of emergency.
Due to the storm, more than 2,300 flights scheduled for today across the United States have been canceled, with two airports in Dallas being the hardest hit.
As can be seen from photographs, store shelves in Virginia are empty.
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said in a post on the platform X that “much of the United States is preparing for a historic winter storm this weekend,” adding that the “storm system is expected to produce heavy snow, dangerous ice storms, and life-threatening cold winds.”
- It is forecast to impact more than 230 million Americans in 34 states. I have activated the National Response Coordination Center to monitor the storm and coordinate federal support to affected areas – Noem said.
She added that, at her direction, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has pre-positioned critical supplies, including 30 generators, 250,000 meals, 400,000 liters of water, blankets, baby food, and other essential supplies.
According to her, staging areas have been established for potentially affected regions, including Texas and Louisiana, and among other measures, 28 urban search and rescue teams have been placed on standby.
Ice and snow storm in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas and along the U.S. East Coast
In some parts of Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas and along the U.S. East Coast, snow fell on Friday, signaling a major winter storm that is forecast to develop over the weekend from the Rocky Mountains to the far East Coast, alongside the arrival of an icy Arctic blast, U.S. officials said today.
Meteorological services have announced heavy snowfall, freezing rain, and extremely low temperatures that will affect two-thirds of the eastern United States, with expected power outages and traffic disruptions, Reuters reported.
Major U.S. airlines have warned passengers to be cautious due to sudden changes and flight cancellations.
- This is a terrible storm – said Jacob Asherman, a meteorologist at the American Weather Forecast Center in Maryland.
Trump: U.S. fully prepared to respond to the announced cold wave and storm
U.S. President Donald Trump said today that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is fully prepared to respond to the record cold wave and winter storm that, according to forecasts, will hit much of the United States this weekend.
Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social that his administration is coordinating activities with local officials regarding the announced severe weather.
“Stay safe and stay warm!” Trump told Americans.
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