Massive winter storm threatens half of US
DALLAS—Freezing rain fell in parts of Texas on Friday as a huge, dayslong winter storm began a trek that threatened to bring snow, sleet, ice, bone-chilling temperatures and extensive power outages to about half the population of the United States.
Forecasters warned that catastrophic damage, especially in areas pounded by ice, could rival that of a hurricane.
Schools in Chicago and other Midwestern cities called off classes, airlines canceled thousands of weekend flights, churches moved Sunday services online and the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, decided to hold its Saturday night radio performance without fans. In Louisiana, carnival parades were canceled or rescheduled.
At least 182 million people were under watches or warnings for ice and snow, and more than 210 million were under cold weather advisories or warnings, which overlapped in many places.
“It’s going to be a big storm,” Maricela Resendiz said as she picked up chicken, eggs and pizzas at a Dallas store to get her family, including her 5-year-old son and her boyfriend, through the weekend. Her plans: “Staying in, just being out of the way.”
Deployments
In Oklahoma, Department of Transportation workers treated roads with salt brine, while the Highway Patrol canceled troopers’ days off and National Guard units were activated to help stranded drivers.
The federal government put nearly 30 search and rescue teams on standby. Officials had more than 7 million meals, 600,000 blankets and 300 generators placed throughout the area the storm was expected to cross, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema).
President Donald Trump said via social media that his administration was coordinating with state and local officials and “FEMA is fully prepared to respond.”
Trump also made another post, this time questioning the phenomenon of global warming.
“Could the Environmental Insurrectionists please explain—WHATEVER HAPPENED TO GLOBAL WARMING???” he posted on Truth Social, prompting experts to clarify that US temperatures different from longer, global warming.
In at least 11 Southern states from Texas to Virginia, a majority of homes are heated by electricity, according to the US Census Bureau.
A severe cold snap five years ago took down much of the power grid in Texas, leaving millions without power for days and resulting in hundreds of deaths.
Gov. Greg Abbott vowed this will not happen again, and utility companies were bringing in thousands of employees to help keep the lights on.
