The US must declare a state of emergency due to snow storms

Snow storms continued to fall in the eastern United States, causing traffic congestion, widespread power outages and forcing many states to declare a state of emergency.

By December 27 (local time), the snow layers were 75cm thick in Bergen County, New Jersey state and nearly 50cm in New York City as well as in neighboring states.

Snow falls on a New York route on December 25. (Internet photo)

The state of emergency was announced from December 27 morning in the state of Carolina North, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, Maine, Massachusetts and New York. In these places, the National Guard has been mobilized to help emergency teams.

High winds accompanied by snow storms, with an average speed in the East of 96 km / hour, some places up to 129 km / hour, also cause power outages, affecting people's lives and great losses in business and production activities.

The authorities announced that in some areas it would take several days for the new power supply service to resume while the outdoor temperature dropped to minus 5 to minus 10 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, bad weather conditions have caused nearly 100 traffic accidents, especially on federal highways, injuring dozens of people.

During December 26-27, US airlines such as American Airlines Inc., Delta Air Lines Inc., US Airways, United Airlines, Continental Airlines and several other airlines had to postpone more than 6,000 flights to and from airports in the Eastern region due to heavy snow and strong winds. Many passengers are stuck at the airport in the cold, hungry and tired.

US aviation officials said two consecutive snowstorms in the last month of this year have caused significant damage to the carriers because many passengers canceled flights. During the year-end leave from December 16, 2010 to January 5, 2011, about 2.3 million passengers travel by American airlines every day.

The US National Meteorological Center said snowstorms continue to rage on December 28 in many areas in the East, then spill over into Canada.

Some airports are scheduled to open again on December 29, except for airports in Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, New York and Boston in Massachusetts - which may be closed until the end of the day. same of 2010 this.

Meanwhile, snow has brought a rare white Christmas to South America. For the first time, Alabama, Mississippi and the state capital of Carolina have experienced heavy snowfall since weather data was recorded in 1887.

Atlanta and Georgia also welcomed the first white Christmas celebrations in 128 years. Earlier, the first snowstorm had dropped into the Midwest in the United States on 11-12 / 12, with snow layers up to 50cm thick, causing airlines to postpone nearly 2,000 flights.

In mid-February 2010, the Eastern region of the United States suffered a historic snowstorm in the past 110 years with 140cm of snow.