A strong snow storm is hitting the east coast of the United States, with cities like New York and Boston forced to cancel the vast majority of their flights as a result of the storm. Precisely, in New York there have been images showing the magnitude of the storm, with emblematic places such as Times Square covered by a blanket of snow.
The winter storm has even forced evictions in several states and these cities have declared a state of emergency, in addition to prohibiting non-essential travel. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a warning for a blizzard, a phenomenon that combines sustained winds or frequent gusts of at least 56 kilometers per hour with visibility of 400 meters or less for three hours, in much of I 95 (main highway on the East Coast of the United States) and coastal areas from Maryland to New Hampshire.
Forecasters warned of a 12-hour period of wind gusts of 80 to 112 kilometers per hour, along with intense bands of snow capable of leaving an accumulation of 5 to 10 centimeters per hour.
Thousands of flights suspended
In the early morning alone, more than 5,300 flights to, from, or within the country had been suspended at the beginning of the week, according to data from FlightAware, collected by ‘Bloomberg’. Airports such as LaGuardia in New York have eliminated 98% of flights, while John F. Kennedy has done the same with 88% of its operations. For its part, Boston’s Logan Aerodrome has canceled 93% of scheduled services and Philadelphia’s has suspended 83%.
The airline Delta Air Lines has announced that it plans to suspend operations at LaGuardia, JFK and Boston Logan until this Tuesday, while warning of a more widespread interruption along the entire East Coast. Airport authorities have urged passengers to confirm the status of their flights with airlines before traveling to the airport. Significant snowfall of up to 75 centimeters is expected in some areas of the east coast, with the heaviest between this Sunday and Monday, according to the National Meteorological Service, which will make travel impossible.
State of emergency, no non-essential travel and more restrictions
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani also declared a state of emergency and ordered a ban on non-essential vehicles until noon on Monday ahead of the arrival of the intense winter storm that is already hitting the city. The restriction seeks to reduce accidents and facilitate the work of emergency and cleaning teams in the face of blizzard conditions, low visibility and rapid accumulation of snow, according to a statement from the Mayor’s Office.
Emergency vehicles, public transportation, health services and the supply of food, fuel and medical supplies, among others considered essential, are exempt, the source added.
The authorities clarified that the subway and buses can operate, although they could register delays or modifications in their services depending on the evolution of the storm. The mayor described the storm as a major phenomenon and asked residents to remain during the most dangerous hours of the storm.
Although this new storm presents similarities with the last one on January 25, this time it is expected to strengthen overnight and combine snow, strong winds and even possible coastal flooding. For his part, Mamdani deployed more equipment and mobilized more social assistance personnel to care for and transport homeless people after 16 died from the cold in the previous wave.
