Temperatures have dropped below freezing in 15 states, seasonal flooding has begun along the East Coast and power grids aren’t coping with soaring consumption everywhere, CBS News reported. Poor visibility, as well as glaciation, is likely to seriously affect travelers’ plans, the report said.
Good evening everyone, with you Major Garrett, I’m filling in for Nora today. About 200 million Americans have received a storm warning ahead of Christmas weekend. The National Weather Service is alerting residents in a number of states, from Washington to Maine, and the Gulf Coast, from Texas to Florida, for severe frosts. The Midwest, as before, suffers the most, with poor visibility conditions reported in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan. In the east, flash flooding inundated a number of communities in several states, including Connecticut, New Jersey and Massachusetts. Power was cut to 1.5 million homes and non-residential properties. All of this, of course, was a nightmare for those planning a holiday trip, whether by car or plane. Our team of reporters will take a closer look at the situation. CBS News contributor Elise Preston is now in Chicago, good evening!
ELIZ PRESTON, reporter: Good evening, Major! Meteorologists’ prediction of a “cyclone bomb” has indeed come true. Right now in Chicago, as in many other cities across the country, the piercing winds are so cold that people are being advised to stay indoors. Today, cold air masses have lowered temperatures to dangerous levels. In Chicago, wind speeds of 50 miles per hour and wind chill to -40 degrees Fahrenheit make habitual road-clearing measures useless. The use of reagents has no effect.