STELLA WALLOPS NORTHEAST
Travel by plane, train, automobile snarled, but many escape the worst
Winter Storm Stella wreaked havoc on the Northeast on Tuesday as airlines canceled most flights in and out of New York and Boston, Amtrak suspended service between the two cities and three governors declared states of emergency.
The storm brought less snow than feared to the major metro areas ofWashington, Philadelphia and New York, but enough fell for a modest amount of sledding and snowman- building. Sleet and freezing rain fell on top of the snow in theWashington area, adding a crusty layer and creating an icymess on roadways.
In interior sections of the Northeast, the storm delivered as promised: Heavy snow fell from the mountains of Pennsylvania to central New England, the National Weather Service said. The storm was expected to wind down overnight, and all weather warnings likely will be dropped byWednesdaymorning.
The highest totals from the storm as of Tuesday afternoon included the 30 inches that fell in Damascus, Pa., in the northeastern portion of the state, the Weather Channel reported. Both Scranton, Pa., and Binghamton, N. Y., picked up more than 20 inches, the weather service said.
One of the highest wind gusts measured 72 mph in Wellfleet, Mass., on Cape Cod, the weather service said.
In Rochester, N. Y., emergency crews rescued the driver of a vehicle that plunged 175 feet into the Genesee River gorge amid snow- covered and slippery roads. The unidentified driver survived the fall and was taken to an area hospital for evaluation.
In D. C., the U. S. House canceled Tuesday votes and won’t reconvene until late Wednesday. Federal agencies operated on a three- hour delay Tuesday.
Governors in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut declared states of emergency as the storm descended. Connecticut took additional precautions when Gov. Dan Malloy issued a statewide travel ban prohibiting all road travel for non- essential personnel.
In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered non- essential state employees to stay home except in the state’s North Country, which received a lighter- thanexpected snowfall. Cuomo said road crews spread 50,000 tons of salt. He also deployed 2,000 National Guard troops from other parts of the state to New York’s Southern Tier.
The forecast brought evenmore chaos to air travel.
By midafternoon Tuesday, airlines canceled more than 8,800 flights this week, including about 6,100 on Tuesday alone. Plans for Wednesday remained fluid, with more than 600 cancellations already.
Amtrak suspended service between New York City and Boston, as well as between Albany/ Rensselaer and Boston and Pittsburgh andWashington, D. C.
In New York City, above- ground portions of the subway system shut down.
In South Philadelphia, where Stella missed her mark, funeral director Randy Goldy showed up to work four hours late after navigating treacherous roads.
“Death takes no holiday,” joked Goldy, who looked dapper despite the icky conditions. Goldy said he was impressed by a couple of random Philadelphians who helped him dig out his car. The main thoroughfare was cleared by early Tuesday afternoon, but tiny side streets, barely passable on a good day, remained caked in ice.
He said he harbored no ill will to meteorologists who made bad calls. “It’s just like a great TV show,” he said. “They want to make it happen.”