Storms slam South, roll east; 8 are dead
A large storm system took aim at the Northeast on Friday, threatening heavy snow and coastal flooding after heavy winds and possible tornadoes damaged homes and buildings, left thousands without power and caused eight deaths in a wide swath of the South and Midwest.
Three people were killed by falling trees in Alabama as severe weather swept through the state. In Mississippi, a woman died inside her SUV after a rotted tree branch struck her vehicle, and in Arkansas a man drowned after he drove into high floodwaters.
Three weather-related deaths were reported in Kentucky on Friday. The deaths happened in three different counties as storms with straight-line winds moved through the state. More than 350,000 customers were without power as of Friday evening.
The storm also barreled Friday afternoon into the
Detroit area, quickly covering streets and roads beneath a layer of snow. The weather service said some areas could see blizzard conditions with snowfall approaching 3 inches per hour.
Detroit-based DTE Energy reported more than 130,000 customers lost power Friday evening. It was the latest slap after ice storms last week left more than 600,000 homes and businesses without power.
Hail and strong winds were reported in Oklahoma.
The storm system was heading toward New England, where a mix of snow, sleet and rain was expected across the region starting Friday night and lasting into today, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a winter storm warning.
There’s a chance of coastal flooding in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and the storm could bring as much as 18 inches of snow to parts of New Hampshire and Maine. The storm also will bring strong winds with gusts of 40 to 50 mph, which could cause power outages.
Airport officials in Portland, Maine, canceled several flights for Saturday ahead of the weather and some libraries and businesses in the region announced weekend closures. Still, with warmer weather expected to return by the end of the weekend, most New Englanders were taking the storm in stride.
Many residents of Alabama, Louisiana, Kentucky, Arkansas and Texas emerged Friday to find their homes and businesses damaged and trees toppled by the reported tornadoes. Tens of thousands were without power and some were also without water.
In Alabama, a 70-yearold man sitting in his truck in Talledega County was killed when a tree fell onto his vehicle. A 43-year-old man in Lauderdale County and a man in Huntsville also were killed by falling trees Friday, officials said.
Strong winds were reported in Oklahoma. Elsewhere in the Midwest, Minnesota and Wisconsin expected areas of freezing fog with less than a quarter mile of visibility.