Winter storm Elliot leaves deaths and blackouts in the US.

First modification: 12/25/2022 – 15:57

Christmas celebration at risk. More than 315,000 homes and businesses across the country suffered power outages on Christmas Eve, caused by Temporary Storm Elliot that brought heavy snowfall and dangerously low temperatures, conditions that killed at least 22 people, according to . .

The storm is still battering parts of the upper Midwest and the interior Northeast with heavy snow and blizzards, according to the channel. The storm’s reach has been almost unprecedented, stretching from the Great Lakes near Canada to the Rio Grande River along the Mexican border.

At least 200 million people in the United States, 60% of the population, received some type of winter weather watch or warning, and temperatures dropped dramatically below normal from the Rocky Mountains east to Appalachians, according to the Service. National Weather Service, NWS, for its acronym in English.

“A cold start to Christmas morning. A fast-moving storm is forecast to plunge south across the center of the nation with wind, packing snow, and a wintry mix for the plains and lower Mississippi valley.

The service warned that “a powerful storm is approaching the western United States this week.”

The Los Angeles Times puts the number of possible victims at at least 18, many of whom died trapped in their vehicles during the blizzard or in accidents on the highways. More than 2,360 domestic and international flights were canceled on Saturday, according to the FlightAware tracking site.

The “cyclonic bomb” ruined the holidays in a good part of the country

The Arctic front, usual for these dates, became a “bomb cyclone” on Friday, which began to affect hundreds of Americans on Christmas Eve.

The phenomenon, which forms when atmospheric pressure drops rapidly in a strong storm, had developed near the Great Lakes, bringing blizzard conditions, including strong winds and snow.

The storm hit Buffalo full force, with gale force winds and snow whipping up a white squall that even paralyzed emergency response.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul confirmed that nearly all of the city’s fire trucks were stranded and closed the airport until Monday. In New York’s Central Park the maximum was 15 degrees, registering the second coldest December 24 in at least 150 years, according to the National Weather Service.

Icy conditions and power outages prompted Buffaloans on Saturday to seek anywhere with heat. “There is a shelter, but it’s too far for me. I can’t drive, obviously, because I’m stuck,” said Jeremy Manahan, who charged his phone in his parked vehicle after nearly 29 hours without power.

“You can’t be out for more than 10 minutes without freezing,” he added.

In some 13 states in the eastern half of the country, power companies asked their customers to save energy and turn down the thermostats more than usual because the increase in consumption was compromising the supply.

The storm also knocked out power in communities from Maine to Seattle, with one major power grid operator warning 65 million people across the eastern US of possible blackouts.

Across the six New England states, more than 273,000 customers were still without power, with Maine hardest hit. Several power companies anticipated that electricity could take several days to be restored.

In Mexico, migrants camping on the US border have faced unusually low temperatures as they await a US Supreme Court decision on Title 42, which has barred many from seeking asylum.

The storm is expected to gradually weaken as it moves into southeastern Canada, moving slowly over the next few days, fading mainly after Monday over the eastern two-thirds of the country.

With Reuters, EFE, AP