United News of Bangladesh

Blizzardlike conditions from a “bomb cyclone” battered parts of the Carolinas on Saturday, bringing frigid temperatures to much of the East Coast. Tens of thousands of homes and businesses in Tennessee and Mississippi remained without power after being hit by a separate ice storm last week. Charlotte, North Carolina, recorded one of its heaviest snowfalls in years, with roughly a foot (30 centimeters) or more in some areas. The snow created long delays on Interstate 85 northeast of the city, where a noninjury crash caused dozens of semis and other vehicles to be stuck into the evening, the State Highway Patrol said. The agency reported at least 750 traffic accidents but confirmed there were no fatalities. As snow fell steadily across the Southeast on Saturday, some families took advantage of the wintery conditions to go sledding with their children and dogs, while others stayed indoors to avoid hazardous travel. Temperatures were expected to drop into the teens and single digits overnight. Read More: Winter storms dump snow and ice across New England Bob Oravec, lead meteorologist for the National Weather Service in College Park, Maryland, said about 240 million people were under cold weather advisories and winter storm warnings. West Virginia recorded a low of minus 27 Fahrenheit (minus 33 Celsius), with freezing temperatures expected to reach as far south as Florida. Areas unaccustomed to snow braced for several inches of accumulation by Sunday, disrupting travel and prompting hundreds of flight cancellations at airports in Atlanta, Charlotte, and Raleigh. In North Carolina, insurance agent Lee Harrison said he planned to take his three daughters sledding at home rather than risk driving. Cindy Symonds near Columbia, South Carolina, said her family stocked up on supplies and planned to stay off roads, calling the snowfall “a complete…aberration.” Myrtle Beach prepared for up to 8 inches (20 centimeters) of snow despite lacking its own snow-removal equipment. Meanwhile, more than 197,000 customers remained without power, mostly in Mississippi and Tennessee. Amanda Linton of Holly Springs, Mississippi, said her family stayed positive while coping with ice-covered roads and a weeklong outage. Officials warned of hypothermia and frostbite, and at least 100 deaths have been reported from Texas to New Jersey, roughly half in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Authorities urged residents to stay home as dangerous conditions persisted.