US winter storm leaves deaths, power outages and flight delays

Several people died in a winter storm that hit a large swath of the United States, causing thousands of flights to be canceled or delayed due to the conditions.

The storm, which wreaked havoc from Texas to the tip of Maine over the weekend, clogged roads, knocked out power and buried major cities under a thick layer of snow.

At least a dozen people have been killed in several US states. Parts of the Northeast received more than 20 inches of snow in the past 24 hours, according to the National Weather Service (NWS), and Canadian officials said the storm seriously disrupted southern Ontario.

Forecasters are warning that another “significant winter storm” could hit the eastern United States again this weekend.

More than 200,000 people lost power in Tennessee as of Monday afternoon. The city experienced a deep freeze that plunged residents into cold and darkness.

“There are a lot of downed trees and power lines blocking the roads.” Joy Flores, vice president of the Nashville Rescue Mission homeless shelter, told the BBC. His center received calls from residents who had lost power.

The roads were icy and impossible to navigate, Flores said, and his house had “no heat, no internet and no coffee.”

In New York, a total of eight people died between Friday and Monday morning, according to city officials, as temperatures dropped into the single digits.

Central Park in New York City recorded 11.4 inches of snow Monday morning, according to the NWS.

In Texas, a teenage girl died and another was in critical condition due to a sledding accident, Frisco police said.

In North Carolina, a man was found dead on the side of a highway in Buncombe County and authorities are investigating whether his death was weather-related. And the Louisiana Department of Health said two people died from hypothermia.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healy warned state residents Monday that “it’s not over yet,” and snowfall of one to five inches was expected Monday.

In Canada, Ottawa and Quebec were hardest hit by the storm, leading to transportation problems and multiple school closures.

Toronto Pearson Airport received 18.1 inches (46 cm) of snow on Sunday, a new record for the site, according to the CBC.

On Monday, U.S. airline customers continued to experience frustrations and delays. Airlines experienced more than 19,000 delays Monday, according to FlightAware, and 5,900 cancellations.

Relief may not come soon. According to the NWS, the “potential is increasing” for another winter storm beginning Friday. Such an event could bring very cold temperatures to the eastern United States and “widespread heavy precipitation.”

The U.S. weather agency warned that forecasters did not yet know the storm’s potential path or where it would have the greatest impact.