It was reported on Tuesday that at least two people had died and two law enforcement officials had been critically injured as a result of the winter storm that had devastated a large area of the country, from west Texas to West Virginia.
As the cold front moved east on Tuesday afternoon, it put more than 50 million Americans under a winter weather warning or watch, portending hazardous travel conditions for Wednesday.
Additional rounds of winter precipitation, with brief lulls followed by bursts of sleet and freezing rain, have been forecast by the National Weather Service and could significantly worsen road conditions. “prolonged and significant ice storm” continues to affect a wide area from the southern Plains to the Tennessee Valley. READ MORE– CINDY WILLIAMS, THE STAR OF ‘LAVERNE & SHIRLEY,’ DIED AT THE AGE OF 75.
A state trooper was hit by a driver who lost control of their car, and a sheriff’s deputy had to undergo surgery after stopping to aid the driver of an 18-wheeler that had skidded off an icy highway.
At least two deaths have been attributed to the winter storm in Texas. On Tuesday, authorities in Austin reported that an early morning crash had claimed the life of one individual. On Monday, an SUV near Dallas drove into a railing due to wet roads, and the driver, a 45-year-old male, was killed when the vehicle rolled down an embankment.
At 8 a.m., the Austin-Travis County Traffic Report Page said that an officer was called to a new crash every three minutes in Travis County, where the capital city of Austin is located.
In a tweet, the Fort Worth branch of the meteorological service urged drivers to stay off the roadways. Please stay indoors if at all possible. This world is a shambles. READ MORE-‘AGT: ALL STARS’: AFTER A STUNNING OG SONG PERFORMANCE, MANY BELIEVE MANDY HARVEY IS ALREADY A WINNER.
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Earlier on Tuesday, icy conditions led to ” flying difficulties” at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, prompting a brief ground stop. Flights resumed, although with delays averaging nearly an hour. Passengers were urged to contact their respective airlines to inquire about flight delays.
Because of the continuous ice storm, more and more flights have been canceled.
According to the flight tracking website FlightAware, more than 1,100 flights have been canceled for Wednesday at U.S. airports.
Many flights have been canceled or delayed in Texas, specifically at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Dallas Love Field, and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Over 1,900 domestic and international flights were canceled on Tuesday, while over 4,600 were delayed.
TX blackouts, dangerous driving conditions
The Fort Worth office of the National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for all of north Texas and western central Texas until noon on Wednesday. Freezing rain and sleet were predicted for the region. Until Wednesday, a winter storm warning was also in effect for the Austin metropolitan region.
According to the outage tracking website poweroutage.us, the storm knocked out electricity for more than 30,000 people. As Governor Greg Abbott pointed out, the Texas power grid failed for days in 2021 because of a catastrophic winter storm, but not because of the operation of the infrastructure itself. READ MORE–WHEN IS VALENTINE’S DAY IN 2023, AND WHY DO WE CELEBRATE IT.
As a result of the freeze, 1,600 miles of roadway required the deployment of emergency vehicle fleets. “Traffic is really dangerous at the moment. Abbott emphasized that it was crucial not to understate the importance of this point.
In spite of the winter storm warning and winter weather advisory in effect in the Texas capital until Thursday, authorities responded to approximately 215 collision calls on Tuesday.
Significant ice accumulation impacts and freezing alert periods are forecast in the local area, according to the weather service. The police in Austin has issued a warning about the dangerous road conditions and have asked residents to stay inside.
Southern states now under ice storm warning
Midday on Wednesday, the weather office in Memphis issued an ice storm warning for parts of Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee.
Icy roads make it dangerous to travel, and downed power lines and broken trees are likely. A state of emergency has been proclaimed by Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders due to the impending ice storm that is expected to affect parts of east Arkansas, northern Mississippi, and west Tennessee.
The fire department in Forrest City, Arkansas, released photographs of crashed semis on Tuesday morning, saying that icy conditions on Interstate 40 had made driving “very hazardous.”
More than 15 accidents were reported to police on Tuesday morning, according to Division Chief Jeremy Sharp. Most of these incidents were caused by automobiles reaching an icy bridge too quickly. “They hit the ice and they start wrecking,” he said to the AP.
Nashville and Memphis drivers face treacherous driving conditions.
Sleet and ice were predicted by the National Weather Service for much of Tennessee. Because of the possibility of dangerous road conditions, while buses were in operation, Nashville schools opened two hours late on Tuesday.
The roads, bridges, and overpasses are all quite slippery. Memphis requested that everyone use great caution in a tweet. Stay inside if you don’t have to be somewhere. The entire region has been plagued by reports of accidents.
Warnings of gusty winds and temperatures that can drop to 35 degrees below zero
Wind advisories were also in effect until Tuesday morning over the Midwest and Plains states, including Wisconsin and Minnesota. Some areas saw wind chills around -35 degrees. The National Weather Service cautioned that “exposed skin can get frostbite in as little as 10 minutes” in perilous conditions.
On Wednesday and Thursday, temperatures in Wisconsin are anticipated to increase, but on Friday, wind chills might reach into the negative 20s.
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