Winter storm bears down on the Southeast
More than 1,300 flights are canceled; 200,000 lose power
A winter storm has knocked out power to over 200,000 customers in North and South Carolina, according to a major utility in the region, forcing people who were left without electricity and heat to stay in hotels and shelters.
By Sunday morning, the storm system had struck a broad segment of the South, leaving close to 11 inches of snow in Lubbock.
The National Weather Service said snowfall in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic was likely to continue through Sunday night as part of a “high-impact winter storm.”
“We expect 1 to 2 inches of snow after 7 p.m. across Virginia and North Carolina,” said Bryan Jackson, a spokesman for the Weather Service. “Until then, there are rates of 2 inches of snow per hour and sleet and freezing rain,” he added.
The service said the storm would stretch from northeastern Georgia to central Virginia.
“Snowfall amounts in some locations will likely exceed a foot and result in several days of difficult or impossible travel, extended power outages and downed trees,” it said.
The mountains in North Carolina have gotten 12 to 18 inches of snow. The Piedmont area is likely to get the same amount by the time the storm passes, according to the Weather Service.
Sleet, freezing rain and icy roads were expected across much of the area affected by the storm.
Duke Energy has yet to send out employees to survey the damage.
“It is still a fluid storm,” said Candice Knezevic, a spokeswoman for the utility. “As soon as it is safe for our crews to get out there, we will send them,” she added.
Duke Energy projected that in some cases, the loss of electricity would last for several days.
On Sunday morning, airlines flying into and out of Charlotte Douglas International Airport had reported more than 1,100 cancellations, according to FlightAware, a flight-tracking website. Raleigh-Durham International Airport was reporting more than 200 cancellations.
Amtrak also canceled or altered service on a number of trains through Tuesday.
Emergency responders were in a state of readiness and urging residents to stay home.
Gov. Ralph Northam of Virginia declared a state of emergency Saturday. “Virginians should take all necessary precautions to ensure they are prepared for winter weather storm impacts,” he said.
In Lubbock, authorities warned that some of the 10.5 inches of snow that fell in parts of the city would melt and then refreeze. The city reported more than 60 crashes Saturday night.