Flood warnings and high wind advisories were active from New Jersey up through Maine on Wednesday as a deadly winter storm continued to dump rain across the region, delaying traffic, closing schools and knocking out power to thousands of households.
Forecasters say the combination of up to 3 inches of rain over highly saturated and snow-covered ground elevates the risk of flooding, especially along low-lying and coastal areas throughout the mid-Atlantic and New England regions. The storm's rain and wind will subside as it moves out of the Northeast Wednesday afternoon, the National Weather Service said.
Well over 250,000 utility customers across New York State, New Jersey and Pennsylvania were without power as of 9 a.m. Winds were recorded at over 50 mph throughout New England and exceeded 60 mph along coastal areas. Many school districts delayed the start of classes or canceled them altogether because of the storm.
On Tuesday, the storm brought blizzard conditions, heavy rain and powerful winds to over 30 states and more than 2 million square miles. At least five deaths and several injuries were reported across the Midwest and Southeast. At least three tornadoes were confirmed across the Florida Panhandle on Tuesday with wind gusts as high as 106 mph.
Meanwhile, dangerous blizzard conditions that peaked on Tuesday persist in the Pacific Northwest, where heavy snow fall has made for treacherous travel conditions along mountain roads in the Cascades and Olympics.
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Developments:
∎ Authorities in Connecticut reported a dam break on the Yantic River on Wednesday, which has led officials to cut power to thousands of households in the area "to avoid potentially catastrophic damage to our infrastructure," Norwich Public Utilities said in a social media post.
∎ More than 330 flights were delayed and over 115 were canceled Wednesday morning as the storm continued to move across the Northeast, according to FlightAware. Airports in New York City, New Jersey and Miami accounted for the most travel delays and cancelations.
∎ Over 150 rivers throughout the Atlantic Coast were at their flood stage, according to the weather service.
Hundreds evacuated after Connecticut dam break
Hundreds of people were forced to flee their homes after a dam in southeast Connecticut was partially damaged, prompting a mandatory evacuation order.
The evacuation zone stretched for several miles along the Yantic River from the town of Bozrah to Uncas Falls in downtown Norwich, a city about 45 miles northeast of New Haven.
“The City Manager has determined that the Yantic River Flood Zone must be evacuated to protect the life and safety of residents in the area,” said a statement from Norwich Public Utilities.
An emergency shelter was opened at Kelly Middle School in Norwich, where the Red Cross was stationed to help the hundreds of people who had to leave their homes.
“Residents evacuating from Yantic are advised that they may be displaced from their residences and businesses for several days,” according to Norwich Public Utilities.
Around 7 a.m., Norwich Public Utilities announced the dam had partially collapsed and, to avoid “potentially catastrophic” infrastructure damage, had to cut power to some 5,000 utility customers.
At 12:15 p.m., the Yantic River was measured at 12.8 feet, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The river’s flood stage is 9 feet.
Powerful storm kills at least 5 people, authorities say.
Authorities said the large storm caused at least five deaths in Wisconsin, Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina on Tuesday.
One person was killed and four people were injured in Claremont, North Carolina, when a storm went through Catawba County, damaging multiple homes in a mobile home park, Catawba County spokesperson Amy McCauley told USA TODAY. About 30 people were displaced by the storm, she said, and the American Red Cross was assisting with shelter efforts.
Police in Clayton County, south of Atlanta, say a man died during heavy rain when a tree fell on his car on a state highway in Jonesboro.
Another person in Birmingham, Alabama, died when a tree fell on a vehicle, Birmingham Fire and Rescue Capt. Orlando Reynolds said Tuesday, CNN reported.
An 81-year-old woman died in Cottonwood, Alabama, after an apparent tornado touched down around 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Houston County Coroner Robert Byrd confirmed to USA TODAY. Charlotte Paschal's mobile home was picked up by the storm and "rolled" three to four times, Byrd said.
In Wisconsin, treacherous road conditions amid intense snowfall led to a car wreck in Jefferson County that left one person dead.
Snowfall broke Des Moines record on Tuesday
Des Moines, Iowa, saw a record 8.3 inches of snow on Tuesday, breaking previous records for Jan. 9 snowfall, the National Weather Service said.
The previous record for Jan. 9 was 7.3 inches, set in 1957. Tuesday was the second day the storm dumped snow on Des Moines, which saw a total of 11.2 inches Monday and Tuesday.
Iowa may have its coldest Caucus Day ever on Jan. 15 with an "arctic cold" on its way to the state. By 6 p.m. on Monday, when people will be lining up to check-in before caucusing for Republican presidential primary candidates, temperatures are expected to be minus 1 to minus 5 degrees depending on which part of the state you're in. Wind chills in the evening could dip to nearly minus 20 degrees, meteorologist Brad Small said.
-The Des Moines Register
Maine flooding covers roads, submerges cars
Large swaths of Maine’s Atlantic Coast flooded early Wednesday as heavy rain poured across New England, melting snow banks and quickly raising the level of rivers and streams.
Stephen Oliver, a building contractor who lives and works in Hancock, a seaside town at the head of Frenchman Bay, said the storm surge had swelled over entire roadways and submerged cars.
“There's a lot of flooding everywhere,” he told USA TODAY.
Oliver, 47, spent Tuesday afternoon covering building materials in tarps and installing extra braces on a house he’s working on near the coast. Multiple building sites lost power overnight, he said.
The weather service said coastal communities may be inundated with up to 3 feet of water before the rain subsides. Between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, 1 to 4 inches of snow fell along Maine’s coastal towns and neighborhoods, while inland areas received snow totals in the double digits.
Two previous storms also caused flooding and damaging winds in December, Oliver said, adding that weather this winter season has been “very unusual.”
“This is like the third instance where there’s been heavy wind and rain in the last few months,” he said, adding that he can’t remember a time when extreme weather struck the region with a similar frequency.
Severe weather to continue: Bomb cyclone, arctic blast, East Coast snowstorm
The parade of snowstorms is just a teaser for what's to come. By Friday, cold air equivalent to true artic air will reach the central U.S., with many places unable to reach temperatures above zero degrees Fahrenheit by Sunday, according to AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter.
A possible "bomb cyclone" blizzard could cause an arctic blast courtesy of the polar vortex in the Midwest next week as well as the first real East Coast snowstorm in years.
The National Weather Service said the storm carrying the arctic air will continue to bring heavy snow, blizzard conditions and snow squalls throughout parts of the Pacific Northwest through Thursday before the storm makes its way to the Midwest later this week.
Get a grip on winter driving:How to prepare for snow and ice on the roads.
Migrants in NYC sheltered at a school during storm
Nearly 2,000 migrants were brought to a high school in Brooklyn, New York, on Tuesday ahead of the storm's intense wind and rain.
The 500 families had been sheltering in tents at Floyd Bennett Field, an airfield in southeast Brooklyn, only a few miles from James Madison High School, when they were picked up in buses Tuesday evening and dropped off at the school.
The school's students studied from home Wednesday.
“This relocation is a proactive measure being taken out of an abundance of caution to ensure the safety and well-being of individuals working and living at the center,” said the New York City Emergency Management in a statement. “The relocation will continue until any weather conditions that may arise have stabilized and the facility is once again fit for re-occupancy.”
Zachary Iscol, the commissioner of the city’s emergency management department, said at a news conference the migrants were relocated primarily “because of the high winds.”
Around 5 a.m. Wednesday, when the storm had largely passed over the city and the strong winds had subsided, authorities began taking families back to the airfield.
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Power outages surge across country
While heavy rain moved out of the area early Wednesday, more than 140,000 are without power in New York State after gusts of up to 60 mph knocked over power lines and downed trees.
More than 100,000 utility customers in Pennsylvania and 80,000 in North Carolina were without power at about 6 a.m., according to a USA TODAY tracker.
Areas throughout the Midwest, where snowfall has lessened since blizzard conditions swept over the region earlier this week, remained without power Wednesday morning. In Michigan, more than 44,000 utility customers had no power amid freezing temperatures.
US weather watches and warnings
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Contributing: Doyle Rice, USA TODAY; The Associated Press
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