The storm could bring “catastrophic ice accumulation,” the National Weather Service said, potentially causing “long-duration power outages, extensive tree damage, and extremely dangerous or impassable travel conditions,” including in many states less accustomed to intense winter weather
US President Donald Trump has taken a dig at climate activists as he commented on the impending ice storms in the country, which are expected to cause power outages and could be life-threatening.
“Record Cold Wave expected to hit 40 States. Rarely seen anything like it before. Could the Environmental Insurrectionists please explain — WHATEVER HAPPENED TO GLOBAL WARMING???” Trump said on Truth Social.
The storm could bring “catastrophic ice accumulation,” the National Weather Service said, potentially causing “long-duration power outages, extensive tree damage, and extremely dangerous or impassable travel conditions,” including in many states less accustomed to intense winter weather.
How are states preparing for the storm?
A state of emergency has been declared in Arkansas, Georgia, Texas, North Carolina, and South Carolina, which means that the National Guard troops can be mobilised in these states.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said the state has over 1,600 snowploughs and 114,000 tonnes of salt ready ahead of the winter storm. She urged New Yorkers to work from home and stockpile essential supplies.
On Thursday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott assured residents that there is “no expectation whatsoever” of a statewide power grid failure as a major winter storm approaches. He emphasised that the grid “has never been stronger” and is fully capable of handling the upcoming freeze, seeking to distance the state’s current readiness from the catastrophic 2021 storm that resulted in hundreds of deaths.
More than 2,700 weekend flights have already been cancelled, according to the tracker Flightaware, including many in and out of Texas.
Schools in Chicago and other Midwestern cities called off classes, airlines cancelled thousands of weekend flights, churches moved Sunday services online, and the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, decided to hold its Saturday night radio performance without fans. Carnival parades in Louisiana were cancelled or rescheduled.
Polar vortex
The brutal storm system is the result of a stretched polar vortex, an Arctic region of cold, low-pressure air that normally forms a relatively compact, circular system but sometimes morphs into a more oval shape, sending cold air spilling across North America.
Scientists say the increasing frequency of such disruptions of the polar vortex may be linked to climate change, though the debate is not settled and natural variability plays a role.
With inputs from agencies
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