Snowstorm paralyzes eastern US

An "extremely dangerous" storm has dumped large amounts of snow in the eastern U.S., killing at least two people and paralyzing parts of the region.

Izvor: BBC

Saturday, 06.02.2010.

16:27

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An "extremely dangerous" storm has dumped large amounts of snow in the eastern U.S., killing at least two people and paralyzing parts of the region. Museums closed, transport was widely disrupted, and residents were told to prepare for up to five days indoors. Snowstorm paralyzes eastern US A rare blizzard warning is in effect for the Washington-Baltimore area. The storm - dubbed "snowpocalypse" and "snowmageddon" by the local media - is expected to stretch from Indiana to Pennsylvania and into parts of New York and North Carolina. Parts of Maryland and West Virginia are already buried under more than 51 cm of snow. And forecasters say that snowfall rates are likely to increase - up to 5cm an hour - early in the day. It comes less than two months after a December storm dumped more than 41cm of snow in Washington. The National Weather Service has said the storm could be "extremely dangerous." It forecast up to 76 cm of snow in the capital, which would shatter Washington's record snowfall set in 1922. Late on Friday, Washington was left without a bus service after roads were deemed "impassable" and the metro stopped all but its underground service. The storm has been blamed for at least two deaths - a father and son who were hit by a tractor-trailer on a road in Virginia when they stopped to help a stranded motorist, local media reported. All flights were cancelled at Washington's Reagan National airport, and only some international flights were operating at Dulles International. Flights from international destinations, including the UK were also disrupted. In London, British Airways cancelled one flight to Washington and one to Baltimore. Its flights from Philadelphia and Washington to Heathrow were stuck overnight in the U.S. Residents were urged to keep off the roads, and to be prepared to stay inside for up to five days. The governors of Virginia, Maryland and Delaware have declared states of emergency, a move that puts the National Guard on alert. According to the Virginia Department of Transportation, 94 percent of the state's snow removal budget had already been spent during the December blizzard. Officials said they would have to use emergency funds to pay for snow removal after this latest storm.

Snowstorm paralyzes eastern US

A rare blizzard warning is in effect for the Washington-Baltimore area.

The storm - dubbed "snowpocalypse" and "snowmageddon" by the local media - is expected to stretch from Indiana to Pennsylvania and into parts of New York and North Carolina.

Parts of Maryland and West Virginia are already buried under more than 51 cm of snow.

And forecasters say that snowfall rates are likely to increase - up to 5cm an hour - early in the day.

It comes less than two months after a December storm dumped more than 41cm of snow in Washington.

The National Weather Service has said the storm could be "extremely dangerous."

It forecast up to 76 cm of snow in the capital, which would shatter Washington's record snowfall set in 1922.

Late on Friday, Washington was left without a bus service after roads were deemed "impassable" and the metro stopped all but its underground service.

The storm has been blamed for at least two deaths - a father and son who were hit by a tractor-trailer on a road in Virginia when they stopped to help a stranded motorist, local media reported.

All flights were cancelled at Washington's Reagan National airport, and only some international flights were operating at Dulles International.

Flights from international destinations, including the UK were also disrupted.

In London, British Airways cancelled one flight to Washington and one to Baltimore. Its flights from Philadelphia and Washington to Heathrow were stuck overnight in the U.S.

Residents were urged to keep off the roads, and to be prepared to stay inside for up to five days.

The governors of Virginia, Maryland and Delaware have declared states of emergency, a move that puts the National Guard on alert.

According to the Virginia Department of Transportation, 94 percent of the state's snow removal budget had already been spent during the December blizzard.

Officials said they would have to use emergency funds to pay for snow removal after this latest storm.

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