Authorities warned of continued snow storms in several American states (Reuters)
50 people were killed in the United States as a result of violent snow storms that have struck many American states since the middle of last week.
American media reported - yesterday, Friday - that snow storms and severe drops in temperatures caused traffic accidents that caused deaths and obstructed air traffic at many airports.
Media reported that the storms led to power outages for thousands of people, and authorities were forced to close schools in the affected cities, and issued warnings to millions of Americans due to the bad weather conditions.
In the state of Tennessee, in the southeast of the country, health authorities confirmed the death of 14 people due to bad weather conditions, while 5 women died in a traffic accident on a highway in the state of Pennsylvania, in the northeast of the United States, last Tuesday, according to the state police.
Five deaths were recorded in accidents related to snowstorms in the state of Kentucky, according to what state Governor Andy Beshear announced - in a statement yesterday, Friday - while 3 people in Oregon died of electrocution last Wednesday, after an electrical wire fell on their car that was parked during a snowstorm, according to State authorities.
Storms led to traffic accidents due to ice and snow covering the roads (Reuters)
Emergency declaration
The authorities in Oregon declared an emergency yesterday evening, Friday, due to the strong storms hitting the state, which led to power outages for about 75,000 residents since yesterday.
The authorities reported the death of about 5 other people in different states, including Illinois, Kansas, New York, and Washington state.
Snow storms struck many areas of the country, especially in New York State, where meteorologists said that about 1.9 meters of snow fell near Buffalo during 5 days this week.
Frosty temperatures extended to the American south, which was not accustomed to such a harsh winter.
Many areas in the United States are preparing for more snow storms in the coming days, according to expectations of American monitoring services.
The National Weather Service warned on Friday that snow storms and strong polar winds would hit the Central Plains and the Mississippi Valley in the eastern United States.
Air traffic witnessed chaos yesterday, Friday, as more than 1,100 flights were canceled in the United States, while more than 8,000 flights were delayed, according to the competent authorities.
Source: French