A storm that blanketed the southern United States in ice and snow, from southeastern New Mexico to West Virginia, killed at least three people and led to the cancellation of nearly 1,900 flights, US officials said.
The National Weather Service (NWS) said Wednesday that a solid core of cold air, with temperatures well below normal, continues to interact with rising humidity, creating a vast band of ice.
“This situation will continue through Wednesday with the addition of ice, especially in parts of Texas,” the NWS added.
“A prolonged and significant ice storm will continue to occur across much of the southern Plains,” it added.
The storm, nicknamed “Marta,” killed three people in Texas, including a woman who was killed by ice on a highway in the city of Eldorado. A man was killed when his vehicle skidded off a bridge in Arlington and another person was killed in a 10-vehicle collision.
As of Wednesday morning, more than 185,000 homes and businesses in Texas, Arkansas and other southern states were without power, according to powerhouse.us, with more than 174,000 of those customers in Texas.
The Austin, Texas Police Department said it responded to 215 calls for traffic accidents on Tuesday.
According to the flightware.com platform, this Wednesday morning more than 1,890 flights were canceled, of which 750 were at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and another 300 at Dallas Love Field.
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency, noting “the likelihood of multiple power lines being out of service” and stressing that road conditions had created a delay in the delivery of goods.
Also this Wednesday, schools and universities in Arkansas suspended classes or adopted distance learning.
Source: TSF
