World

Massive power outages in US as storms pummel coasts

Over 400,000 customers are without power in the US, after bicoastal storms brought rain, snow, flooding and high winds.

Overflowing rivers and mud­slides roiled California, where 40 of the state’s 58 counties had been under a state of emergency.

Up to three feet of snow have fallen in some parts of New York, New Hampshire and Massachu­setts. Storms on both coasts eased on Wednesday morning but the damage remains.

The storm sweeping along the north-east brought mounds of snow, downed power lines and toppled trees – one of which nearly flattened a parked car in the Bronx – and had winds recorded over 40mph (64km/h). Hundreds of schools and businesses in the region were closed.

New York State and multiple counties in New Jersey issued states of emergency.In Derry, New Hampshire, a child was struck and pinned down beneath a snow-covered tree knocked over by fierce winds, the Derry Fire Department said.

Through a mix of chainsaws and shovels, “16 firefighters and three police officers worked for 19 minutes to free the child from underneath the tree”, the depart­ment said.

The child was transported to a hospital in an ambulance and sustained minor injuries.

On the west coast, where a series of storms have barraged the Sunshine State since the start of the New Year, saturated soils have created hazardous conditions for residents.

A mudslide in Placer County caused severe damage to a home sunken nearly to its roof in mud. In San Francisco, one of the city’s largest public transportation lines suffered widespread delays, a spokesperson told CNN.

California is experiencing its 11th atmospheric river since December, a weather phenome­non where water evaporates into the air and is carried along by the wind, forming long currents that flow in the sky like rivers flow on land causing heavy downpours.

Towards its peak, more than 360,000 residents were without power as the sun began to set on Tuesday evening. Rivers over­flowed. Roads were impassable. Workers laboured to repair a re­cently breached levee in Monterey County, where 21,000 people were under evacuation order. —CNN

Show More
Back to top button