WASHINGTON: A severe snowstorm continued to disrupt travel across the southern United States on Sunday, bringing subzero temperatures and hazardous conditions to regions unaccustomed to such extreme winter weather.
The storm struck about a week after another major blizzard killed over 100 people nationwide. Heavy snowfall was reported in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, eastern Tennessee, Kentucky, and southern Virginia, prompting authorities to issue travel warnings. North Carolina recorded 750 car accidents on Saturday alone.
Faust, North Carolina received 14.5 inches of snow, West Critz, Virginia 12.5 inches, and Harrisburg, Tennessee over nine inches. High winds created dangerous, drifting snow, and officials warned that travel could be life-threatening, especially for stranded motorists.
Air travel was severely affected, with more than 1,800 flights canceled at Charlotte Douglas International Airport over the weekend, while Atlanta saw over 600 cancellations. Power outages affected around 156,000 customers, particularly in Mississippi, Tennessee, and Louisiana.
The storm prompted the closure of Outer Banks campgrounds and beaches, deployment of generators in Mississippi, and NASA postponed a critical rocket fueling test at Cape Canaveral, delaying a manned Moon flyby. The National Weather Service warned of blizzard conditions and extreme cold extending as far south as Florida.