A devastating winter storm dubbed Blair has swept across parts of the United States leaving at least five people dead and causing travel disruptions, power outages, and school closures across several states.
Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky, and Arkansas have all declared states of emergency as the storm brought heavy snowfall, icy conditions, and frigid temperatures driven by a polar vortex from the North Pole.
The extreme weather caused the cancellation of more than 2,300 flights and delayed nearly 9,000 more, according to reports from major airports across the US.
Meanwhile, 190,000 homes and businesses in the storm’s path were left without power as of Tuesday morning, according to Poweroutage.us.
The National Weather Service has warned that while snowfall and sleet are expected to ease in the coming days, Arctic air will keep dangerous icy conditions across much of the north-eastern United States for several more weeks.
In Washington DC, where lawmakers gathered to certify former President Donald Trump’s election victory, 5 to 9 inches of snow fell, with up to a foot recorded in nearby Maryland and Virginia.
Despite the severe weather, hundreds of residents gathered in front of the Washington Monument for a snowball fight, a tradition that dates back 15 years.
Former US Olympic skier Clare Egan was also spotted skiing through the National Mall.
Speaking to reporters, she expressed surprise at the opportunity to ski in the nation’s capital, saying she thought her “skiing days were behind [her]”after relocating to the city.
The storm caused treacherous road conditions across the affected states, leading to numerous accidents.
In Missouri, the state highway patrol reported 365 crashes on Sunday, resulting in dozens of injuries and at least one death.
In Kansas, which was among the worst-hit states, local news sources reported that two people were killed in a car crash during the storm.
In Virginia, authorities reported 300 car crashes between midnight and Monday morning, with one motorist confirmed dead.
Officials in the state advised residents to stay off the roads to avoid further accidents.
In Houston, Texas, a homeless person was found frozen to death at a bus stop on Monday morning as temperatures plummeted.
A senior meteorologist at weather app MyRadar, Matthew Cappucci described the situation in Kansas City as the worst snowstorm in 32 years.
He noted that some areas near the Ohio River had turned into skating rinks
due to the freezing conditions.
“The ploughs are getting stuck, the police are getting stuck, everybody’s getting stuck — stay home,” Cappucci told the BBC
