Eastern United States hit by winter storm, blizzard alert in Canada

The eastern United States and Canada were still suffering the effects of a major winter storm on Monday, with heavy snowfall causing widespread power cuts, while some Canadian provinces are under alert. in the blizzard.

More than 130,000 American homes experienced a power outage at 7:30 p.m. GMT, according to the poweroutage.us website, mainly in the southeastern United States – including about 21,600 homes in South Carolina and 21,000 in North Carolina.

In Canada, some areas in the provinces of Quebec and Ontario have been placed on blizzard alert, such as Toronto, the country’s largest city, and Ottawa, the capital, according to the Canadian government’s weather information site.

Many schools have closed in Quebec and southern Ontario, while a “total accumulation of snow of 40 to 60 cm” is expected until the evening in Toronto, according to the same site.

The five vaccination clinics run by the city of nearly three million people also suspended operations for the day.

A resident clears snow from a street in Toronto, Canada, January 17, 2022 (AFP/Cole Burston)

In the American neighbor, “the major winter storm that has plagued the eastern third of the country will slowly reduce today,” said the National Weather Service (NWS), national meteorological service, in a tweet Monday morning.

“However, major effects from snow, ice, wind, and coastal flooding will persist across a wide area,” the NWS continued.

The winter storm warning remains in effect across seven states, from North Carolina in the southeast of the country to Maine in the far northeast.

– 1,600 flights canceled –

Significant snowfall was still expected Monday in northern New York State, and high in the New England region (northeast), as well as along the Appalachian chain which crosses the eastern part of the United States from North to South.

As of 3:00 p.m. GMT on Monday, more than 57 cm of snow had fallen in Harpersfield, a town in Ohio, according to the NWS.

“A strong storm over the northeast will move into southeastern Canada by Tuesday,” the US service said.

He also expects a further drop in temperatures to cause roads to freeze, dangerous for driving.

A snow plow in action on the National Mall in Washington, January 16, 2022 (AFP / Stefani Reynolds)

Sunday, more than 300 car accidents were listed in North Carolina, according to the highway police of this state in the south-east of the country, quoted by the daily USA Today.

Toronto police announced in a tweet that they closed two highways in the city to traffic on Monday, “due to extreme weather and for the safety of drivers”.

In the air, more than 1,600 domestic or international flights have already been canceled in the United States on Monday, down however from the more than 3,000 flights canceled the day before.

After experiencing 620 flight cancellations on Sunday, or 95% of its expected traffic for the day, Charlotte International Airport in North Carolina resumed more normal activity on Monday, but remains the most affected airport with 218 flight cancellations. flight, or 33% of its forecast traffic.

In Toronto, 201 flights departing from or arriving at Pearson International Airport had to be canceled, representing more than half of the traffic.

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