Wodoin News & Blog Magazine
Severe winter weather gripped a significant portion of the United States on Tuesday, with forecasts predicting its persistence through the week. The East Coast faced heavy rains and high winds, contributing to a heightened risk of flooding, while the Pacific Northwest braced for several feet of snow. Earlier on Tuesday, the South experienced high winds and tornadoes, resulting in three reported deaths in Alabama, North Carolina, and Georgia. The Florida panhandle also witnessed substantial damage from tornadoes.
The National Weather Service (NWS) reported that the East Coast would continue to endure adverse weather conditions into Wednesday, with the potential for over three inches of rain in the northeast. Power outages affected more than 418,000 homes and businesses across 12 states on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Midwest and Great Lakes region, which had already faced blizzard conditions earlier in the week, expected continued snowfall and high winds on Wednesday, with the NWS warning of potential power outages due to gusts exceeding 55 mph.
This extreme weather follows a year with a record number of “billion-dollar” disasters in the U.S. Storm-related challenges are expected to gradually ease as the storm system moves away from the Midwest and East Coast on Wednesday. Simultaneously, the Pacific Northwest is grappling with a separate storm system, causing blizzard conditions set to persist into Wednesday. This system is anticipated to strengthen as it traverses the Rockies, impacting the central plains by Thursday.