More than 12,000 flights have been canceled in the USA due to a powerful winter storm. The storm was accompanied by freezing conditions, heavy snow, and severe frosts in many parts of the country over the weekend. At the same time, more than 100,000 consumers were left without electricity.
Musavat.com reports that this information was released by "Reuters" and "CBS News".
According to meteorologists' forecasts, on Sunday and next week, approximately two-thirds of the eastern part of the country will be affected by snow, sleet, and rain. Also, the air temperature will drop to below zero.
US President Donald Trump called the events "historic storms." On Saturday, he approved the declaration of a state of emergency related to the natural disaster in the states of South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Indiana, and West Virginia.
"We will continue to monitor the situation and will stay in contact with all the states in the path of the storm. Take care of yourselves and stay warm," Trump stated in his post.
According to the "FlightAware" service, which monitors flights, on Saturday airlines canceled more than 3,700 flights, and on Sunday this number exceeded 8,200. Media reports say this is the highest number of cancellations recorded in one day since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
According to "CBS News," the most affected airports include Dallas–Fort Worth, Nashville, and Charlotte Douglas International Airports.
The US Department of Homeland Security reported that a state of emergency has been declared in 17 states and the District of Columbia due to the weather conditions.
Governor Kristi Noem stated on Saturday night that tens of thousands of people in the southern states of the country were left without power:
"Repair crews are working around the clock to restore electricity in the affected areas as quickly as possible."
Nevertheless, the number of power outages continued to increase. According to the "PowerOutage" service, as of 6:30 PM Eastern Time on Saturday, more than 130,000 consumers were without electricity in the USA. Most of them live in the states of Texas and Louisiana.
