Biodun Iginla, BBC News

Biodun Iginla, BBC News
Showing posts with label US snowstorm. Show all posts
Showing posts with label US snowstorm. Show all posts

Saturday, January 23, 2016

US snowstorm: Mammoth blizzard shuts New York City


  • 9 minutes ago

by Biodun Iginla, BBC News, New York
A man makes his way during a storm in New York on January 23, 2016Image copyright AFP/Getty Images
Image caption The storm is likely to be one of the biggest to ever hit New York City
All non-essential travel has been banned in New York, transport suspended and bridges shut as the city is hit by one of its worst snowstorms.
Parts of the eastern United States have received 40in (102cm) of snowfall in a huge blizzard that is sweeping across the region.
Travel restrictions in New York came into place at 14:30 (19:30 GMT).
Mayor Bill de Blasio said up to 25in snow may fall, making it one of the five worst winter storms in the city.
Heavy snow began falling on Friday across more than 20 states, affecting some 85 million people.
At least 13 people have died and emergencies have been declared in 11 states.
Tens of thousands of homes are without power and traffic jams lasting more than 12 hours were reported in Kentucky and Pennsylvania.
Latest updates on snowstorm
In pictures: #snowmageddon2016
What to do if it all goes wrong
Why do so many people die shovelling snow?
Media captionExcited Tian Tian enjoys Washington blizzard
The heaviest unofficial snowfalls recorded by mid-afternoon included:
  • 40in (102cm) - Berkeley County, West Virginia
  • 35.5in (90cm) - Morgan County, West Virginia
  • 34in (86cm) - Washington County, Maryland
The weather system affects a huge swathe of the country, from Alabama in the south to Massachusetts in the north-east.
New York City could be on course to top its highest snowfall, 26.9in, recorded in February 2006.
In the latest developments in New York:
  • Governor Andrew Cuomo has declared a state of emergency
  • Almost all flights into the city have been cancelled
  • Tunnels into New York have also been closed
  • Emergency vehicles and workers carrying out repairs are being allowed to use roads - but those driving non-essential vehicles risk being arrested
  • Above-ground and subway train services were suspended from 16:00 local time (21:00 GMT)
"This is going to be one of those generational events, where your parents talk about how bad it was," said Ryan Maue, a meteorologist with WeatherBell Analytics.
Media captionA look at the snowy scenes in several US states
A uniformed U.S. Secret Service police officer stands guard in a knee-deep snow outside the White House in Washington, Saturday, Jan. 23, 2016Image copyright AP
Image caption This Secret Service officer stationed outside the White House took all precautions against the snow
Snow accumulates on vehicles parked along Jenifer Street during a major blizzard in Washington, DC, USA, 23 January 2016.Image copyright EPA
Image caption Parts of Washington DC have become impassable
Students stranded in snow on Pennsylvania Turnpike - 23 January 2016Image copyright University of Mary
Image caption Students from the University of Mary in North Dakota were stranded on the Pennsylvania Turnpike
Map showing snowfall across US
On the Pennsylvania Turnpike, several hundred people have been stranded in vehicles for almost a day.
Among them are close to 250 students from the University of Mary in North Dakota. Monsignor James Shea, president of the university, told the BBC that "spirits are good and no-one is panicking".
Further south in Kentucky, a 35-mile (56km) traffic jam has cleared, after thousands of drivers found themselves stranded overnight on Interstate 75 by heavy snow and a number of accidents.
The Red Cross erected shelters along the highway for those left in the traffic jam.
Astronaut Scott Kelly tweets: Massive #snowstorm blanketing #EastCoast clearly visible from @Space_Station! Stay safe! #blizzard2016 #YearInSpaceImage copyright Twitter
Image caption US astronaut Scott Kelly tweeted a picture of the snowstorm from the International Space Station
Tweet by BBC's Jon Sopel showing snow in Washington - 23 January 2016Image copyright Twitter/@BBCJonSopel
Image caption Back on planet Earth, this was the view facing the BBC's North America editor
Media captionMayor Muriel Bowser: "Our ploughs cannot do their jobs with you on the streets"
In other developments:
  • More than 4,300 flights were cancelled in the eastern US on Saturday alone
  • One man died on Saturday of an apparent heart attack while shovelling snow in Maryland; the other 12 to die since the storm hit the US were killed in car accidents
  • More than 150,000 properties lost power in North Carolina
  • Another 90,000 people were without power in New Jersey, while high tides have led to some heavy flooding in the south of the state
  • States of emergency have been declared in New York, Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, New Jersey, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia
The US federal government closed down at noon on Friday. President Obama is remaining at the White House.
In a warning on Saturday morning, the National Weather Service tweeted that an "intense snow band" was moving across the eastern states. "Expect rapid accumulations and near-whiteout conditions," it warned.
Snow outside window in Washington DC -23 January 2016Image copyright Dana Foley
Image caption "Just enjoying the snow and hoping to keep power and remain warm!" wrote Dana Foley in Washington
Snow on Washington DC road - 23 January 2016Image copyright gaholder81
Image caption "We still have power....for now", Instagram user gaholder81 told the BBC from Washington
Media captionSnow arrives in Washington DC
Residents in the capital and surrounding suburbs in Virginia and Maryland have been warned the snowfall could eclipse the district's record of 28in that fell during a two-day period in 1922.

Some tips on surviving a snowstorm

  • Make sure you have at least three gallons (13.5 litres) of drinking water per person, per day
  • Tape the windows with bubble wrap to keep the heat in
  • Use your dog to measure the snowfall
How to prepare for a snowstorm
Do you live on the US east coast? Are you affected by the blizzard? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your stories, and if safe to do so, send us your pictures and video.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:
Or use the form below
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US snowstorm: Massive US blizzard advances north


  • 14 minutes ago

by Biodun Iginla, BBC News, New York
Media caption"A combination of epic snowfall, driven by hurricane force winds" - Jon Sopel reports from Washington DC
A massive blizzard bringing more than 2ft (60cm) of snow and punishing winds is advancing up the US East Coast.
More than 50 million people across more than a dozen states have been warned to stay at home as it moves north.
The nation's capital, Washington, could lie under a record 30in (76cm) of snow by the time the storm passes on Sunday.
Eight people have been killed, six states have declared states of emergency, and thousands of flights have been cancelled.
The weather system affects a huge swathe of the country, from Arkansas in the south to Massachusetts in the north-east.
Supermarkets ran out of food amid a rush for supplies before the first snowflakes fell on Friday.
How to prepare for a snowstorm
In summary:
  • More than 6,000 flights have been cancelled for Friday and Saturday
  • The US federal government closed down at noon on Friday
  • President Barack Obama is to remain at the White House, officials said
  • States of emergency have been declared in Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia, and parts of other states
  • Eight people have been killed in car crashes in Tennessee, North Carolina, Kentucky and elsewhere
  • Washington's transport system - the second busiest in the US - will close all weekend
  • Many events, including two sold-out concerts by singer Garth Brooks in Baltimore, have been postponed
Washington's mayor, Muriel Bowser, said this was a major storm with "life and death implications".
Dog walkers in Nashville, TennesseeImage copyright AP
Image caption Dog walkers in Nashville, Tennessee
Digging out in Evansville, IndianaImage copyright AP
Image caption Digging out in Evansville, Indiana
Pedestrians outside the US Capitol in the snow, Washington DC (23 January)Image copyright AFP
Image caption The lights of the US Capitol shone through the falling snow
On Friday afternoon, as the first snow fell in Washington, the National Weather Service said it could be one of the worst storms in the city's history.
It says winds of more than 50mph (80kph) coupled with heavy snow could cause possible power outages and create large snowdrifts.
Residents in the capital and surrounding suburbs in Virginia and Maryland have been warned the snowfall could eclipse the district's record of 28in that fell during a two-day period in 1922.
As the weather system approached the country's most populous city, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio urged residents to be ready.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a Republican presidential candidate, returned from the campaign trail in New Hampshire to take charge of snow preparation.

At the scene: Laura Bicker, BBC News, Washington

The US capital feels like a city in hiding. Residents have been told to find a safe place and stay there until the storm has passed. The streets are empty and restaurants, bars and supermarkets remain closed.
Public transport is at a standstill and over 6,000 flights have been delayed or cancelled. Officials warned anyone trying to travel in the blizzard risks getting stuck for hours, marooned or killed.
Why do so many people die shovelling snow?
10 weird things Americans are doing in the snow
Media captionAdvice for citizens of Washington DC from around the world on how to survive the cold
Catholics in Washington, Baltimore, and Delaware were told by archdiocese officials that missing Mass this Sunday was excusable given the terrible conditions.
Supermarket shelves in many areas were laid bare. In Baltimore, shopper Sharon Brewington remembered how she and her daughter were left with just noodles and water when the last big snowstorm struck in 2010.
"I'm not going to make that mistake again," she said.
National Weather Service director Louis Uccellini said the system had "the potential of being an extremely dangerous storm that could affect over 50 million people".
Media captionSnow arrives in Washington DC
Do you live on the US east coast? How are you preparing for the blizzard? Or do you live somewhere else in the world that receives a lot of snow? If so, how do you prepare? You can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your comments.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:
Or use the form below
Your contact details
If you are happy to be contacted by a BBC journalist please leave a telephone number that we can contact you on. In some cases a selection of your comments will be published, displaying your name as you provide it and location, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. When sending us pictures, video or eyewitness accounts at no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. Please ensure you have read the terms and conditions.
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