America is preparing for an extremely cold Christmas. The National Weather Bureau warns of temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees, complete with blizzards and “snap freezes,” where skin can freeze within minutes. “Expectations are really bad,” says correspondent David Hammelburg from New York, where he is currently raining. “But this is the calm before the winter storm.”
Heavy snowfall, blizzards and bitter cold already wreaked havoc on roads and airports on Thursday. About 10,000 flights out of about 45,000 daily flights in the United States were delayed or canceled Thursday night. “This isn’t just a blizzard,” Hammelburg says. US President Joe Biden warns public storm must be taken very seriously’and this is no joke‘ he said at that point.
Chicago and Denver airports were particularly hard hit. Interstate 90, which runs through the northern United States, was closed for more than 300 kilometers due to high winds and blizzard-like conditions.
This “bomb cyclone” will affect 177 million Americans, half the population, at a time when a third of Americans travel to celebrate Christmas with their families. ‘Many have already left before, but this is not the case for everyone. For people staying at home, there needs to be enough food and drink in the house, as well as enough warm clothing in case of gas and power outages,’ says Hammelburg. “Remember that emergency centers will be overcrowded, so the more people staying home the better.”
For example, there is a warning for the so-called flash freeze, in which the temperature can rapidly drop by tens of degrees in a short time. “From clear weather to well below freezing in an hour,” describes Hammelburg. “The worst is yet to come, but the expectations are really bad.”
The US Weather Service (NWS) has issued an extreme weather warning that applies to an estimated 200 million Americans. The minimum temperature reaches -45 degrees Celsius and in places where it is very cold there is a risk of frostbite of the skin.
Not only in the United States, but also in Canada, where residents are better prepared for the cold, the authorities are preparing for extreme conditions and power outages. The impending storm is described as a “once-in-a-generation” event that could have “widespread disruptive and potentially crippling effects across the central and eastern United States.”
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
