Extreme weather eventsNortheast braces for “snowpocalypse”
Around seventy-five million Americans are preparing for potentially life-threatening blizzard conditions as the season’s first major Atlantic Coast storm is about to sweep across the East Coast. Forecasters say the storm taking aim at Washington could rank among the biggest snowfalls on record, eclipsing the “Snowmageddon” storm of 2010 that dropped 45.2 cm. At least five states have declared emergencies as the potentially historic blizzard, which is expected to begin today (Friday), will likely dump up to 75 cm of snow in some regions.
Beautiful, but deadly // Source: Staff Sgt. Debra Richardson via commons.wikimedia.com
Around seventy-five million Americans are preparing for potentially life-threatening blizzard conditions as the season’s first major Atlantic Coast storm is about to sweep across the East Coast.
ITV reports that at least five states have declared emergencies as the potentially historic blizzard, which is expected to begin today (Friday), will likely dump up to 75 cm of snow in some regions.
The New York Times reports that millions of residents in the affected areas into stores to gather supplies. Supermarket shelves were stripped of bread, milk, and other essentials, with people, beginning on Wednesday, posting pictures of empty shelves.
One supermarket has even been forced to put up signs saying they had sold out of milk, amid what has been dubbed a “snowpocalypse.”
ARL Now reports that shops in Arlington, Virginia reported long lines and high demand for milk, bread, and toilet paper.
The Times notes that the stock-piling has by now become a seasonal pre-blizzard ritual on the East Coast. Around the same time last year the threat of a blizzard in the New England and mid-Atlantic regions also cause panicked rush on stores.
CBS noted that the frenzied shopping even led to a much-ridiculed shortage of kale in New York City supermarkets.
The National Weather Service described the weekend storm as “potentially crippling” for large areas in the Northeast.
A blizzard watch was issued for New York City and parts of Long Island and New Jersey starting early on Saturday.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority took the unusual step of suspending operations from late on Friday through Sunday.
The Virginia National Guard said it planned to bring in up to 300 troops to assist in response operations.
Airlines have cancelled Friday and Saturday flights, with many of the 2,200 cancellations for Friday, most of them at airports in North Carolina and Washington, D.C. according to FlightAware.com.
AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist, Alex Sosnowski, said the storm taking aim at Washington could rank among the biggest snowfalls on record, eclipsing the “Snowmageddon” storm of 2010 that dropped 45.2 cm.
