Thousands of flights across the US were canceled over the weekend after a massive storm began wreaking havoc Saturday night/Sunday morning across large parts of the country, threatening to leave power out for days and block major highways with dangerous ice.
According to the Associated Press, nearly 140 million people—more than 40 percent of the US population—were under winter storm warnings from New Mexico to New England.
The National Weather Service warned of heavy snowfall and a band of catastrophic ice stretching from East Texas to North Carolina.
By midday Saturday, up to a quarter inch (0.6 centimeters) of ice had been reported in parts of southeastern Oklahoma, East Texas, and parts of Louisiana.
“What makes this storm truly unique is that after it passes, it will be bitterly cold,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Alison Santorelli.
“The snow and ice will be very slow to melt and won’t disappear anytime soon, and that will hinder any recovery efforts.”
Governors in more than a dozen states warned of the approaching storm, declaring states of emergency or urging people to stay indoors.
As crews in some southern states began repairing damaged power lines, authorities in eastern states issued final warnings to residents.
Good time to stay indoors
“We are expecting a storm like we haven’t seen in years,” New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill said while announcing restrictions on commercial vehicles and a 35-mph speed limit on highways.
“It’s a good weekend to stay indoors.”
Meteorologists said the damage, especially in areas impacted by the ice, could be comparable to that caused by tornadoes.
About 120,000 power outages were reported in the path of the winter storm Saturday afternoon, including about 53,000 in Texas and 45,000 in Louisiana, according to Poweroutage.com.
All flights were canceled Saturday at Will Rogers International Airport in Oklahoma City, and all flights were canceled Sunday morning, with officials aiming to resume service Sunday afternoon at Oklahoma’s largest airport.
More than 12,000 flights were canceled across the US on Saturday and Sunday, according to flight tracking site FlightAware. Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, a major hub, saw more than 700 departing flights canceled on Saturday, and a similar number of arriving flights were also canceled.
Disruptions also piled up at airports in Chicago, Atlanta, Nashville, and Charlotte, North Carolina.
