(Image from Anadolu)
HOUSTON, TEXAS - A massive winter storm continues to pummel the US, leaving more than 350,000 people in the dark.
Heavy snow, freezing rain, and ice brought down power lines across a 2,000-mile path from Arkansas and Tennessee, to Illinois and Ohio, to Kentucky and West Virginia.
More than three feet of snow was dumped on parts of New Mexico, where two people died in weather-related crashes.
A tornado touched down near Tuscaloosa, Alabama, killing one person and injuring eight others.
In Texas, more than 70,000 customers lost power.
That number pales in comparison to the 4.3 million people who lost electricity during last February’s winter storm, which crippled the power grid in the Lone Star State.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said the state added electricity reserves to the power grid this year, assuring there would be minimal outages this time around.
“Continuing to respond in full force to winter weather currently impacting our state,” Abbott said in a Twitter statement. “The power grid is fully functioning and continues to be reliable.”
The storm is now tracking eastward, with New York, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts in its crosshairs.
Eighty million people in that region are now under winter storm watches and warnings, with additional power outages expected.
Heavy snow is forecast over the next 24-hours, in addition to freezing rain, sleet, and ice, creating dangerous conditions.
The storm has also shut down air travel across much of the US.
Some 4,000 flights have been canceled as of Friday, in addition to 3,000 delays. (Anadolu)
