Frozen America due to Heavy Snow and Cold Wave... At Least 17 Dead and Hundreds of Thousands Power Outages

Heavy snowfall in New York State, USA. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Hyewon] In the United States, heavy snowfall ahead of Christmas has caused widespread power outages and transportation disruptions.

According to CNN and the Associated Press, as of the afternoon of December 24 (local time), approximately 700,000 households across the country, including North Carolina, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee, have experienced power outages due to severe weather.

While the number of affected households reached 1.8 million earlier that morning, some restoration efforts began in the afternoon; however, over one million households remain anxious about potential power outages.

The power outages also delayed the NFL game between the Houston Texans and the Tennessee Titans by about an hour.

There have been multiple casualties as well. The 'bomb cyclone' formed in the U.S. Midwest moved eastward, bringing severe cold and heavy snow, resulting in at least 17 confirmed deaths since December 21.

In New York, two people died as emergency responders were hindered by the heavy snowfall. In Ohio, a 46-vehicle pileup caused four deaths and numerous injuries. Kansas also reported three fatalities due to traffic accidents.

Regionally, Atlanta and Florida recorded their lowest temperatures ever on Christmas Eve since weather observations began, and Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are also expected to hit record lows.

Washington DC experienced its second coldest Christmas Eve since 1989, and New York had its coldest Christmas Eve since 1906, CNN reported.

Heavy snow, strong winds, and icy conditions have caused widespread flight cancellations.

According to the flight tracking site FlightAware, over 2,500 flights across the U.S. have been canceled and 5,700 delayed as of this day.

On the previous day, approximately 5,700 domestic and international flights were also canceled.

New York State has closed Buffalo Niagara Airport, affected by the snowfall, until December 26.

FedEx officially announced that the heavy snowfall may cause delays in Christmas season deliveries.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.