More than two-thirds of Americans, about 200 million people, are under extreme weather alerts on Friday, threatening the travel plans of millions just days before Christmas.
Summary
More than two-thirds of Americans, about 200 million people, are under extreme weather alerts on Friday, threatening the travel plans of millions just days before Christmas.
- More than one million Americans are without power on Friday as a “bomb cyclone” lashed the Midwest and temperatures plunged along the East Coast.
- A bomb cyclone, or bombogenesis, is what meteorologists call an explosive storm that rapidly intensifies.
- A National Weather Service bulletin warned, “In addition to the very cold temperatures, high winds in the wake of the front will produce dangerous wind chill readings across nearly all of the central to eastern U.S.”
- The massive storm stretched from Canada to Mexico and more than 458,000 homes were without power on Friday morning. Connecticut, Georgia, Texas, and the Carolinas have experienced the most power outages so far.
- The New York Times offered some tips in case the storm disrupts your holiday travel plans. If you’re flying, they recommend you know your rights, use your leverage, and be prepared. If you’re driving, they warn traffic could double traffic times and recommend packing an emergency kit.
- The Washington Post reported some utility providers are warning residents to prepare to extended outages. One New England provider warned it may be days before power is restored, while Duke Energy encouraged its customers to make plans.
- CNN reported the mayor of Denver was encouraging residents not to go outdoors, while in Kansas there has been at least one and possibly as many as three weather-related deaths on Kansas roads.
- More than 15,000 flights have been delayed or cancelled so far as of Friday morning, according to The Washington Examiner. Friday’s numbers could even surpass the more than 30,000 flights that were impacted on Thursday.
- FedEx said the storm could delay Christmas Eve deliveries and Amazon closed several facilities in the Midwest, threatening the Christmas plans of procrastinators nationwide. The storm has caused disruptions at FedEx’s Memphis and Indianapolis hubs, according to the Wall Street Journal.
- Fox News reported extreme cold temperatures could get as low as negative 50 to negative 70 degrees in the northern Plains states and 30 below zero in the Midwest.
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© Dominic Moore, 2022
