US capital shuts down as winter storm pounds East Coast
WASHINGTON — The capital of the world’s most powerful nation was virtually deserted on Friday as Jonas, winter’s biggest storm yet, battered it with blinding snow and gale force winds forcing people to hunker down at home as US news reports said at least eight people had died as of yesterday.
All flights were grounded, road transport was at a near standstill and the Metro, the nation’s second busiest subway, shut down and parked its rail carriages inside tunnels to protect them from the blizzard conditions.
“We see this as a major storm. It has life and death implications and all residents of the District of Columbia should treat it that way,” DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said. “Only first responders should be out on the roads.”
Meteorologists said strong winds of 30-35 mph and gusts up to 60 mph combined with heavy snow could produce life-threatening blizzard conditions across a large swath of the East Coast on Friday and yesterday. They warned of power outages and downed trees and high storm surges in coastal areas.
Snowfall could total up to three feet in some parts, particularly in the metropolitan area and nearby Baltimore, expected to be the hardest hit.
More than 60 million people are in the path of the “potentially paralyzing storm,” National Weather Service Director Louis Uccellini said.
At least 19 states including New York, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania and North Carolina were under blizzard warnings or winter storm warnings.
The Philippine embassy in Washington closed at noon on Friday and Pinoys took to the social media to warn their friends and relatives to stay indoors and keep warm.