Historic Winter Storm Grounds Over 12,000 US Flights, Leaves Hundreds of Thousands Without Power
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A massive and unusually long-lasting winter storm has brought travel to a standstill across teh United States, with over 12,000 flights canceled over the weekend and hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses plunged into darkness. the disruption, fueled by an Arctic air mass, represents the largest number of single-day flight cancellations as the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
Widespread Travel Chaos
According to data from FlightAware, airlines canceled over 3,700 flights on Saturday and more than 8,200 scheduled for Sunday. Several major airports bore the brunt of the cancellations, including Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, nashville International Airport, and charlotte Douglas international Airport. All flights at Will Rogers International Airport in Oklahoma City were canceled on Saturday, with further cancellations extending into Sunday morning.
States of emergency and Power Outages
Multiple US states have declared states of emergency as the storm system moved from Texas and New Mexico toward the northeast. As of 9 p.m. GMT on Saturday, approximately 57,000 homes and businesses in Texas were without electricity, alongside more than 43,000 in neighboring Louisiana. Data from poweroutage.us indicated that around 50,000 people woke up without power on Sunday. Specifically, 17,977 customers in Texas, 4,495 in Minnesota, and 4,084 in California experienced electricity interruptions. Thousands more were affected in Arkansas, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, and the Virgin Islands.
Extreme Temperatures and Federal Response
The National meteorological Services (NWS) described the storm as “unusually large and long-lasting,” attributing it to the arrival of a frigid Arctic air mass originating in canada.In Dallas, temperatures plummeted to -6°C (21°F) on Saturday, with the city bracing for a freezing rain storm. President Donald Trump declared a state of emergency and addressed the nation via Truth Social, stating, “We will continue to monitor the situation and stay in contact with all states in the path of this storm. Stay safe and stay warm!”
The storm is expected to continue impacting the northeast through Monday, prompting ongoing concerns about travel delays and power disruptions.
Why did this happen? An unusually large and long-lasting winter storm, fueled by a frigid Arctic air mass originating in Canada, swept across the United States.
Who was affected? The storm impacted travelers nationwide, with over 12,000 flights canceled. Hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses lost power across multiple states, including Texas, Louisiana, minnesota, California, Arkansas, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, and the Virgin Islands.
What was the extent of the damage? Over 12,000 flights were canceled, leaving many stranded.At its peak, approximately 57,000 homes and businesses in Texas and 43,000 in Louisiana were without power. Temperatures plummeted, reaching -6°C (21°F) in Dallas.
How did it end? While the storm continued to impact the northeast through Monday, February 27, 2023, the worst of the storm system began to move eastward, gradually lessening its intensity over affected areas. power restoration efforts were underway, and airlines began to cautiously resume flights as conditions improved.
