Allah Tua Pek Kong jointly punished USA freezing their ass in Ice Kachung, video

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Click:

http://www.reuters.com/article/usa-weather-idUSKCN0V109U

Massive blizzard paralyzes New York and Washington, 19 dead
NEW YORK/WASHINGTON | By Barbara Goldberg and Idrees Ali

Millions of residents, business owners and workers began digging out on Sunday from a massive blizzard that brought Washington, New York and other northeastern U.S. cities to a standstill, killing at least 19 people in several states.

The storm was the second-biggest in New York City history, with 26.8 inches (68 cm) by midnight Saturday, just shy of the record 26.9 inches set in 2006, the National Weather Service said.

Thirteen people were killed in weather-related car crashes in Arkansas, North Carolina, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia on Saturday. One person died in Maryland and three in New York City while shoveling snow. Two died of hypothermia in Virginia, officials said.

On the New Jersey shore, a region hard-hit in 2012 by Superstorm Sandy, the storm drove flooding high tides.

After dumping about two feet of snow on the Washington area, the storm unexpectedly strengthened as it spun northward and slammed into the New York metropolitan area on Saturday, home to about 20 million people.

Winds gusting to more than 40 mph (64 kph) sculpted drifts many feet high, burying cars.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency, as did 10 other governors. A ban imposed on all travel on New York City area roads and on Long Island, except for emergency vehicles, was set to end at 7 a.m. on Sunday. Bridges and tunnels into the city were also set to reopen.

Subways running above ground and trains operated by the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North halted service on Saturday and were to be evaluated for service restoration at 6 a.m.

By early Sunday the storm had all but moved off the coastline, with remnants trailing over parts of Long Island and Cape Cod. Much of the northeast was expected to see a mix of sun and clouds on Sunday with temperatures just above freezing.

SHOWS, FLIGHTS CANCELED

Given the massive storm's impact, it was too soon to tell how much Wall Street's reopening on Monday would be affected.

Broadway theaters canceled Saturday matinee and evening performances at the urging of the mayor, and a Bruce Springsteen concert set for Sunday was called off.

As an otherworldly quiet descended on the usually bustling city of 8.5 million, the nation's most populous, tourists and residents took to city streets, venturing into the expanses of parks, some on skis. Others built snowmen and had snowball fights.

Authorities in New York and New Jersey halted public transportation and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority took the rare step of suspending operations through Sunday.

About 3,500 flights were canceled on Sunday, with more than 600 already canceled for Monday, said FlightAware.com, the aviation data and tracking website.

United Airlines said it would not operate at Washington-area airports on Sunday, and would gradually resume service on Monday. The airline plans to start "very limited operations" on Sunday afternoon at its Newark, New Jersey, hub.

The brunt of the blizzard reached the New York City area after battering Washington, where snow piled up outside the White House and famous monuments were frosted with snow.

The record high of 28 inches of snow in Washington was set in 1922 and the biggest recent snowfall was 17.8 inches in 2010.

MORE HIGH TIDES EXPECTED

High winds battered the entire East Coast, from North Carolina to New York, reaching 70 mph in Wallops Island, Virginia, late on Friday, whipping up the tides and causing coastal flooding, said National Weather Service meteorologist Greg Gallina.

The snow also engulfed the Mid-Atlantic cities of Baltimore and Philadelphia while about 150,000 customers in North Carolina and 90,000 homes in New Jersey lost electricity. Accumulations in parts of Virginia and West Virginia reached 40 inches.

Tides higher than those caused by Superstorm Sandy three years ago pushed water onto roads along the Jersey Shore and Delaware coast and set records in Cape May, New Jersey, and Lewes, Delaware, said NWS meteorologist Patrick O'Hara.

Some evacuations were reported along the New Jersey shore.

Wildwood, a town of more than 5,000 people about 30 miles (48 km) southwest of Atlantic City on a barrier island, saw some of the worst flooding.

Emergency workers in inflatable boats rescued more than 100 people from homes, said Wildwood Fire Chief Christopher D’Amico.

Water levels reached chest-height in parts of Wildwood and refrigerators and soda machines floated down the main street.

Further north, barrier islands near Atlantic City were also experiencing significant tidal flooding, said Linda Gilmore, the county's public information officer.

The high tides were set to return on Sunday morning.

The storm developed along the Gulf Coast, dropping snow over Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky on Friday. On the coast, warm, moist air from the Atlantic Ocean collided with cold air to form the massive winter system, meteorologists said.

(Reporting by Barbara Goldberg, Frank McGurty, and Robert MacMillan in New York, Mary Wisniewski in Chicago; additional reporting by Daniel Kelley in Philadelphia and Victoria Cavaliere and Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles; Writing by Mary Milliken and Grant McCool; Editing by Sandra Maler, Muralikumar Anantharaman and Chris Michaud; Editing by Chris Michaud and Andrew Heavens)

 

[minionstar]

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/01/23/us/weather-winter-snowstorm/

Blizzard strikes East Coast, shuts down NYC travel

By Jason Hanna, Greg Botelho and Melissa Gray, CNN

Updated 0528 GMT (1328 HKT) January 24, 2016

Story highlights

More than 74,000 people are without power along the East Coast
New York City travel ban to be lifted at 7 a.m. Sunday
Flooding is a concern along the New Jersey coast

(CNN)A massive winter storm clobbered the East Coast on Saturday, dumping more than three feet of snow in parts of West Virginia and Maryland, tying up traffic on highways, grounding thousands of flights and shutting down travel in the nation's largest city.

From the Carolinas to New York, tens of thousands were without power Saturday night as a result of the storm, which was finally heading out to the Atlantic.

Except for some isolated flurries, snowfall in most of the major cities will likely finish early Sunday morning, CNN Meteorologist Sean Morris said.

By the numbers:

• 40 inches of snow was recorded in Glengary, West Virginia; 39 inches fell in Philomont, Virginia; and Redhouse, Maryland, received 38 inches.

• 25.1 inches of snow at Central Park, the third-largest snowfall on record.

• More than 28 inches of snow at Dulles International Airport, the second-largest snowfall recorded there. Baltimore's BWI notched 29.2 inches.

• At least 14 people dead (six in North Carolina, three in Virginia, one in Kentucky, three in New York City and one in Maryland).

• 11 states declared states of emergency: Georgia, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Kentucky, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Virginia and West Virginia. Washington, D.C., has declared a "snow emergency."

• 8,569 flights canceled for Saturday and Sunday, according to FlightAware.com.

• More than 74,000 people without power.
1/3

Huge snowfall but no record

Though the blizzard set no snowfall records in New York or Washington, you wouldn't know it from walking through the steady evening snow or waist-high snow banks.

New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport received 27.7 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service, and Newark Liberty International Airport received more than 25 inches.

New York's Central Park recorded 25.1 inches of snow by 7 p.m. Saturday, ranking as the third-largest snowfall since records began in 1869.

Mayor Bill de Blasio warned that the total was bound to go higher as snow continued to fall.

"We have to prepare for an even worst-case scenario," he said, "and be ready if it goes even farther."

Washington's 10 biggest blizzards

New York at a standstill

A travel ban was in effect on all roads in New York City and Long Island on Saturday. City bus service and above-ground subway lines were halted, along with area rail services such as the Long Island Rail Road.

All Broadway performances were canceled due to the blizzard, according to the Broadway League.

The wind-driven snow at times appeared to descend sideways, making it difficult to see. On Manhattan's Upper West Side, doctoral student Luis Abraham Garcia of Mexico pushed a wheeled suitcase on the snow-covered sidewalks, hoping to catch an outbound train.

He'd been in Washington on Friday, intending to fly home to Mexico City. However, the flight was canceled, so he traveled to New York to catch a flight Saturday. That flight, too, was called off. So now he hoped to take a train to Chicago, where he would try again to fly home.

This was Garcia's first snowstorm.

"I've never seen snow like this. I've been to New York during other seasons -- in the cold and the heat -- but never saw it under a blanket of snow," he said.

Officials said the ban would be lifted at 7 a.m. Sunday, but they urged people not to travel unless necessary.

"Our plows will still be clearing the streets, and we must keep the streets passable for emergency vehicles," the mayor said. "Whenever possible, New Yorkers should stay indoors until this storm passes."

Stranded

The storm caused major traffic tie-ups on highways in Kentucky, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Road accidents Friday night caused a 7-mile-long backlog involving around 500 vehicles on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, a state police spokeswoman said. The traffic stayed there through Saturday afternoon, when police started turning some drivers around and allowing them off at points along the roadway.

Among those stuck on the turnpike: The Duquesne University men's basketball team, on the road after a victory against George Mason in Virginia. Photos that the team posted to Twitter showed senior forward Nick Foschia making a snow angel in the road and a line of vehicles stranded on the highway. Also stuck was the Temple University women's gymnastics team.

Members of the National Guard and the local fire department delivered water to some of the stranded motorists Saturday morning.

Guard members were also dispatched in West Virginia to help move stuck tractor trailers that blocked a roughly 11-mile stretch of Interstate 77 north of Charleston.

In central Kentucky, some drivers were stranded along a 35-mile stretch of Interstate 75 for as long as 19 hours, from Friday afternoon to Saturday morning.

Power outages and flight cancellations

At 9:30 p.m. ET Saturday, more than 150,000 people were without power as a result of the storm.

Nearly 65,000 customers were in the dark in the Carolinas. The states were hit hard by a combination of snow, sleet, ice and strong winds

Most airports in the Mid-Atlantic virtually were shut down. The number of flight cancellations for Saturday and Sunday was 7,421, according to flight-tracking service FlightAware.com.

Why milk, bread and toilet paper when it snows?

Mass transit services in Washington and Baltimore were suspended for the weekend. And some Amtrak service to and from the East Coast has either been canceled or truncated.

Flooding in New Jersey

Coastal flooding was a big concern as the storm headed out to sea, and the National Weather Service issued a warning for the New Jersey coast until noon Sunday.

Parts of the Jersey Shore already saw flooding as a result of storm surge and very large seas coming ashore. Forecasters predicted widespread flooding again at high tide Sunday morning.

Margate City, just down the coast from Atlantic City, was already covered in water. Some businesses along the main thoroughfare, Ventnor Avenue, put sandbags in front of their doors.

Farther south, the mayor of North Wildwood said the high tide was much higher than anticipated and caught many of the town's 5,000 year-round residents off-guard.

"We had a lot of evacuations, a lot of people who had stayed in their homes not anticipating this, needing to be rescued," Patrick Rosenello told CNN.

Most of the city was without electricity, he said, and the phones at the emergency dispatch center were jammed all day.

The National Weather Service said "significant" beach erosion was likely. Rosenello said Saturday's flooding "devastated" the dune system.

"There's going to be major cleanup. There's going to have to be major renovations," Rosenello said.

Follow the storm on CNN's interactive storm tracker

CNN's Ray Sanchez, Dave Alsup, Ben Brumfield, Phil Gast, Sara Ganim, John Newsome, Nick Valencia, Ralph Ellis, David Shortell, Rene Marsh, Dave Hennen, Keith Allen, Artemis Moshtaghian, Chandler Friedman, Sean Morris, Boris Sanchez and Tina Burnside contributed to this report.

 

[minionstar]

The lastest was already 28" snow and still not stopped:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...re-state-emergency-blizzard-article-1.2506950




Historic blizzard dumps 26 inches of snow across NYC; breaking weather records as city awaits end of travel ban
BY Chris Sommerfeldt, Meg Wagner, Larry Mcshane
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Updated: Sunday, January 24, 2016, 5:05 AM

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Snowstorm 2016 State of Emergency
NY Daily News

The epic blizzard of 2016 went down in history as New York City’s second largest snowstorm, dumping 26.8 inches.

The storm packed a paralyzing punch as promised Saturday, reducing much of the city of 8 million people to a virtual ghost town. The streets emptied amid a travel ban that will be lifted by 7 a.m. Sunday.

The blizzard whipped up hurricane force winds while blanketing the city with at least two feet of snow. The worst of the storm began tapering off at around 10 p.m., but not before surpassing some of the city’s greatest winter flurries.
Pedestrians walk through the snowy streets of the Upper East Side as all cars but emergency vehicles are banned from driving on the road on January 23, 2016. Yana Paskova/Getty Images
Pedestrians walk through the snowy streets of the Upper East Side as all cars but emergency vehicles are banned from driving on the road on January 23, 2016.

The two-day storm is the city’s second largest blizzard since 1869, veering close to a storm that dumped a historic 26.9” in 2006. The storm's rank could change as more snow accumulates over night in Central Park.

The killer storm contributed to more than 400 car crashes scattered throughout the city and at least five deaths deaths. A 78 and 80-year-old man died while shoveling snow in Queens while a 67-year-old man in Staten Island also died while clearing piles of powder.

On Long Island, a 94-year-old man died while using a snowblower in Smithtown and a 61-year-old man died shoveling in Nassau County.

TOP FIVE BLIZZARDS IN NYC HISTORY
Smiling snowman with pickle chips and carrots for eyes and mouth, an "Earl" nametag and an Applebee's shirt and cap welcomes riders to the DeKalb Ave. subway station in Brooklyn.
Leila, a 2-year-old golden retriever, plays in the snow along Hamilton Ave. Saturday in Croton-on-Hudson, New York.
Pedestrians have no choice but to walk the snowy streets of the Upper East Side since all cars, except for emergency vehicles, were banned from the roads after 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
NYPD cruiser patrols Manhattan's Lower East Side early Sunday morning as Winter Storm Jonas finally slows. The epic blizzard went down in history as the city's second largest snowstorm, dumping 26.8 inches since Friday night.
View Gallery Monster blizzard hits NYC, East Coast

The lights went dark on Broadway and the streets were closed to all but emergency vehicles by mid-afternoon. Commuter rail lines and much of the city's mass transit was shut down, along with bridges and tunnels across the city and New Jersey.

The National Weather Service warned that the city could get as much as 28 inches of snow, surpassing the record 26.9” in February 2006.

“This is bad and it's getting worse rapidly,” de Blasio said. “We are going into uncharted territory here. There's absolutely no reason to be out in what will be one of the worst storms in New York City history.”
More than 20 inches has fallen during the storm, making it one of the five worst in New York City history. New York Daily News Photo Illustration
More than 20 inches has fallen during the storm, making it one of the five worst in New York City history.

Hizzoner said Saturday afternoon that the massive storm was nothing to play with, warning parents to keep their kids inside.

SEE IT: PANDA AT DC NATIONAL ZOO LOVING THE SNOW

“I understand fully kids clamoring for fun in the snow, but my best advice is don’t go out or go out very briefly and keep a very close eye on your kids,” de Blasio said. “There will be time for fun in the snow tomorrow and going forward, but right now this is a fast-moving intensifying storm and it should be treated with that respect.”

No tickets were issued to children for the illegal building of snowmen.
Flooding was reported at Whitestone Expressway and Linden Place on Saturday.
@NYPD109PCT
Enlarge
Flooding was reported at Whitestone Expressway and Linden Place on Saturday.
@NYPD109PCT
Enlarge

Whitestone Expressway and Linden Place in Queens flooded Saturday

Both the blizzard warning and travel ban will remain in effect until 7 a.m. Sunday.

Police threatened to arrest anyone found driving in New York City or parts of the state after 2:30 p.m. Saturday as bridges and tunnels in and out of the city were closed at the same time in a virtual knockout blow to the city that never sleeps. Rogue drivers would also face heavy fines and points on their licenses.
A man pulls a boy on a snow saucer during a snowstorm at Central Park in the Manhattan borough of New York January 23, 2016.
SHANNON STAPLETON/REUTERS
A man pulls a boy on a snow saucer during a snowstorm at Central Park in the Manhattan borough of New York January 23, 2016.
Enlarge
JOHN TAGGART/EPA
Snow is seen on a bench and on the platform at Canal Street Station in Lower Manhattan, New York,.
Enlarge

"Plows just can't keep up with this snow," said Gov. Cuomo, adding it was falling at the rate of three inches per hour in some areas.

"Unless it is urgent, stay off the roads," said de Blasio. "It's as simple as that."
Gov. Cuomo said he will declare a state of emergency Saturday. Sam Costanza/for New York Daily News
Gov. Cuomo said he will declare a state of emergency Saturday.

Gov. Cuomo declared a state of emergency early Saturday for New York City and Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Putnam, Rockland and Orange Counties as the National Weather Service issued a dire warning of "widespread blizzard conditions, with heavy snow and potentially damaging winds causing … drifting snow and near zero visibilities."

Broadway shows, after some gentle prodding from the mayor, announced all Saturday performances were canceled — with a promise the theaters would reopen for Sunday's matinees. De Blasio also encouraged restaurants and other businesses open Saturday to close early, sparing night workers from making their way through the blizzard and giving the day shift a chance to flee before the travel ban started.

The Broadway shutdown was a huge letdown for Niklaus Miller, 21, and his pal Stewart Fullerton. The pair purchased hard-to-land seats six months ago for the Saturday afternoon performance of the smash hit "Hamilton," only to arrive in Manhattan and learn the show was cancelled.

LIVE BLOG: BLIZZARD OF 2016 HITS NYC
A man dressed as the "Statue of Liberty" tries to fix his light as it begins to snow in Times Square Friday.
CARLO ALLEGRI/REUTERS
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A man dressed as "Batman" stands as it begins to snow in Times Square early Saturday.
CARLO ALLEGRI/REUTERS
Enlarge

Snow began falling late Friday and continued into Saturday.

"Talk about bad luck," said Miller. "I saved up all my money between dance classes and work to come and see this. We're really sad."

Felipe Valencia, 47, a custodian clad in ski pants, a ski mask and goggles, was shoveling snow outside 655 Third Ave. as the snow continued to fall unabated.

"It's a nightmare," said Valencia, who commuted into Manhattan from Forest Hills, Queens. "I looked out the window (Saturday) and said, 'I gotta make it to work, no matter what. And I did. Getting back home is another question, though."

Metro-North and Long Island Railroad service halted at 4 p.m., with above-ground city subway stations closing at the same time. City bus service shut down at noon, although the underground portion of the subway still running. The Port Authority Bus Terminal, the busy Midtown transportation hub, closed its doors at 4 p.m. as well.

But most of the Saturday morning buses were eerily empty, and few pedestrians were willing to venture outside even before the city went under winter lockdown.

Travel in and out of New York City airports and Newark will continue to lag through Monday as airlines preemptively cut hundreds of flights. All arrivals and departures were eventually cancelled due to severe winter weather conditions at Newark and LaGuardia airports, with Kennedy at a virtual standstill as well. Teterboro Airport in New Jersey was shuttered due to whiteout conditions.

More than 1,000 flights out of New York City-area airports were cancelled, including 90% of flights from LaGuardia.

Cuomo also worried about coastal flooding in sections of the city and Long Island.
Commuters pass through Grand Central Terminal on January 23, 2016 in New York City. The Metro-North train lines ceased operation at 4 p.m. for the day. Yana Paskova/Getty Images
Commuters pass through Grand Central Terminal on January 23, 2016 in New York City. The Metro-North train lines ceased operation at 4 p.m. for the day.

"The flooding is probably the most problematic situation," Cuomo said, calling it "the worst of Mother Nature's wrath … It does tremendous damage in its aftermath."

The storm's arrival coincides with a full moon, ensuring that strong winds will combine with a high tide to produce significant flooding. Some roads in Whitestone, Queens, were already taking on water by early Saturday.
A New York City police office cleans the sidewalks at West 81st street Saturday. Astrid Riecken/Getty Images
A New York City police office cleans the sidewalks at West 81st street Saturday.

With Nicole Hensley

[email protected]

 

[minionstar]

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...zard-snowstorm-washington-new-york-east-coast


Blizzard buries eastern US as New York bans travel – as it happened

Weather service predicts storm could bring snowfall to rival the biggest blizzards on record
Forecast for New York increases to 20-30in
Report: Residents warned to stay indoors as winds intensify

Updated 11h ago
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New York under a blanket of snow following blizzard.
Contribute with Guardian Witness

Alan Yuhas and Jessica Glenza in New York

Saturday 23 January 2016 22.34 GMT
Last modified on Sunday 24 January 2016 00.02 GMT

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13h ago Blizzard pummels eastern US through Saturday
15h ago New Jersey shore towns see icy flooding
16h ago New York City travel ban goes into effect
18h ago Travel bans announced around New York City
19h ago Blizzard of 2016 could be among top five in New York City history
19h ago New York officials consider travel ban as snow falls faster than expected

Show

13h ago 22:28
Blizzard pummels eastern US through Saturday

From the deep south to New York City, much of the eastern United States is either digging out or being buried by a powerful winter storm.

State agencies reported that nine people died in the storm this weekend, most in traffic accidents.
White out conditions, high winds, drifting snow and power outages are forecast to continue along the eastern seaboard, through Saturday night.
Officials have extolled the public to stay off the road because of the slippery, snowy conditions that led to hundreds of accidents from Tennessee to the nation’s capitol northwards.
The storm is likely one of the single largest snow events on record. In New York City, it could be one of the five worst snowstorms – ever.
Officials in New York, America’s most populous city, shut down transit, roads, bridges and tunnels, urging businesses and Broadway theaters to shutter for the evening.
The Jersey shore and coastal Maryland are anxiously awaiting the next high tide cycle and a full moon, that could bring coastal flooding. So far, coastal flooding has been mild to moderate.
Southeastern states, such as Kentucky and Tennessee, are beginning to dig out from more than a foot of snow. Drivers stuck on the busy I-75 interstate in Kentucky finally started moving Saturday afternoon.

A pickup truck is covered in snow in front of a mural of late Former Washington mayor Marion Barry during a snowstorm in Washington, DC, on Saturday.
A pickup truck is covered in snow in front of a mural of late Former Washington mayor Marion Barry during a snowstorm in Washington, DC, on Saturday. Photograph: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images

Updated at 10.29pm GMT
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13h ago 22:11

Giles Clarke sends in more photos of life in New York – where people are skiing down 5th Avenue.
Skiing down 7th Avenue to Times Square. NYC
Skiing down 7th Avenue to Times Square. NYC

Image by Giles Clarke / Getty Images Reportage.

Sent via Guardian Witness

By dootell

23 January 2016, 15:18
Blizzard conditions in midtown Manhattan
Blizzard conditions in midtown Manhattan

Image by Giles Clarke / Getty Images Reportage.

3pm January23 2016

Sent via Guardian Witness

By dootell

23 January 2016, 15:21

Updated at 10.34pm GMT
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14h ago 21:53

Photographer Giles Clarke sent these photos of the blizzard in New York City through GuardianWitness.
Looking toward Times Square from Central Park South. NYC #blizzard2016
Looking toward Times Square from Central Park South. NYC #blizzard2016

Taken by Getty Reportage photographer Giles Clarke this morning in New York City.

Giles Clarke/Getty Images Reportage

Sent via Guardian Witness

By dootell

23 January 2016, 11:38
On 57th Street by Carnegie Hall
On 57th Street by Carnegie Hall

Taken by Getty Reportage photographer Giles Clarke this morning as the blizzard took hold

Giles Clarke/Getty Images Reportage

@clarkegiles

Sent via Guardian Witness

By dootell

23 January 2016, 11:35
Central Park, New York City
Central Park, New York City

Shot an hour ago at 'the rocks' by the playground just inside the park from Central Park South.

Giles Clarke/Getty Images Reportage

@clarkegiles

Sent via Guardian Witness

By dootell

23 January 2016, 11:26

You can share your blizzard photos via GuardianWitness by clicking on the blue ‘Contribute’ button on the live blog - though stay safe.
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14h ago 21:28

In Kentucky, the busy I-75 interstate is beginning to slowly unclog, after some drivers were stuck on the roadway overnight in foot-deep snow, filling up hotels and sheltering at nearby churches.

Here’s a report from the Associated Press:
Srikanth Bellamkonda of Andhra Pradesh, India, digs out his car after getting stuck in the snow on Friday, in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
Srikanth Bellamkonda of Andhra Pradesh, India, digs out his car after getting stuck in the snow on Friday, in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Photograph: Austin Anthony/AP

By Saturday afternoon, I-75 was no longer closed, with lanes open both northbound and southbound. Traffic was moving — albeit slowly, and officials expected it to stay that way for a while. State police Trooper Lloyd Cochran said he couldn’t give a figure for number of cars or people affected by the standstill but noted that no injuries were reported.

Kate Bragg was one of the stuck motorists, spending most of the night at mile marker 59 between Livingston and Mount Vernon. She and her husband, Alexx, are from Indiana and were on their way to Tennessee for a getaway weekend when they got stuck. For hours, the only people they saw were salt truck drivers begging motorists to move over so they could exit, refuel and hopefully help clear the roads. At one point, Alexx Bragg tucked in behind a salt truck and followed it on the shoulder, only to get stuck again.

“We are worried because we are from Indiana, have no concept of where we are and no idea when to anticipate getting out,” Bragg told The Associated Press in an electronic message using Twitter.

Kentucky officials set up shelters for stranded motorists at churches and public schools along the Interstate, but the Braggs were too far away and could not make it to them.

“Emotional breaking point coupled with exhaustion has been met,” Kate Bragg tweeted just after 11 pm, after spending about eight hours on the highway, later adding: “Sleeping on the interstate... Don’t they normally caution against this?”

Kate Bragg posted on Twitter that the couple finally got off the interstate at about 2:30 am, using online mapping services to find a way around the clogged interstate using side roads that had been plowed.

Traffic was slowly moving slowly Saturday along the 30-mile stretch, from Berea to London, according to Buddy Rogers, spokesman for Kentucky Emergency Management. All local hotels were booked, Cochran said. He described people still stuck on the road, some milling about at exits or leaving their cars to seek out the few stores and restaurants nearby.

About 65 people had taken shelter at the West London Baptist Church Saturday morning, according to Amanda Shotton, disaster program manager for the American Red Cross in Kentucky. She said local grocery stores and restaurants provided food for firefighters to take to stranded motorists who couldn’t reach shelter.

Mariclare Lafferty and her family were on their way home to Hamburg, New York, when they stopped at a hotel in Knoxville to avoid the storm. But they had no heat after their hotel lost power, so they got back on the interstate, only to get stuck for five hours.

“I was very scared, very nervous,” she said. “They don’t plow their roads in Kentucky. We’re from Buffalo, and we’re used to a plow going down the road every 20 minutes. We’re just not used to this here.”

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14h ago 21:00

Snow totals updated Saturday afternoon show just how much this storm has carried with it. Winchester, Virginia saw 33 inches (!) of snow this weekend, according to WTOP, following by 32.5 inches in Frederick, Maryland and 32 inches in Brunswick, Maryland.
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15h ago 20:44

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office just sent us some photos of him hooking a stranded motorist’s car to a tow truck. This is on the normally packed Cross Island Parkway in Queens.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo helps tow a stranded motorist.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo helps tow a motorist stranded on the Cross Island Parkway. Photograph: Office of Governor Andrew Cuomo

The governor once drove a tow truck to make extra cash (his call signal was “Queens-15”). He is a well known gear-head who has refurbished more than one Chevrolet muscle car, including a 1969 El Camino and a 1973 Camaro, according to the New York Times.
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15h ago 20:27

Here is a nice visual of just how big those “amazing waves” at the Jersey shore were last night.
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15h ago 20:20

We just talked with the spokesperson for Ocean City, NJ, Doug Bergen. He said that the city’s benchmark for flooding is a tidal marker that reached 10.2 ft during Hurricane Sandy. At high tide this morning, that marker his 8.04 ft.

This one is more severe than anything we’ve seen since Super Storm Sandy.”

Bergen said the city is prepared for flooding as severe at this morning, but is hoping that lower winds and a less severe high tide will stave off flooding that’s more severe than what the town has already seen Saturday.

We’re certainly prepared for something that would match [this morning]... I don’t think we anticipate a lot of damage to homes, and certainly street flooding is something that Ocean City weathers fairly routinely.”

In the Jersey shore town of Cape May, editor of the Cape May Times Jane Kashlak said that the town has been “fortunate” to only experience “sporadic flooding”.
Waves crash in front of the Cape May Lighthouse during a blizzard on Saturday, in Cape May New Jersey.
Waves crash in front of the Cape May Lighthouse during a blizzard on Saturday, in Cape May New Jersey. Photograph: Andrew Renneisen/Getty Images

It’s moderate, it’s not deep at all, it’s not more than a foot in places,” said Kashlak. “Remember, Cape May is just one part of the Jersey shore... We’re very fortunate.”

Kashlak said one of the most stunning things she and her staff have seen today are what she calls “amazing waves.”
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15h ago 19:58
New Jersey shore towns see icy flooding

Icy, freezing water is invading the homes and businesses of some Jersey shore residents. Some of the worst flooding appears to be in Ocean City, where it could worsen as the area experiences its next high tide cycles in the midst of the storm.

Below is a shot from Saturday morning, around the time of the last high tide.

Saturday evening is also a full moon, which is likely to unnerve residents who may have seen the same confluence of events during Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

The next two high tide cycles along the Jersey shore are expected at about 7:30pm Saturday and 8am Sunday morning. A coastal flood warning is in effect until 12pm Sunday, and a high winds warning is in effect until midnight tonight.

Here are some images of the conditions on the Jersey shore now.

— Ted Greenberg (@tedgreenbergNBC)
January 23, 2016

Ocean City firefighters assisting people stranded by flooding leave their home. @nbcphiladelphia #NBC10Snow pic.twitter.com/nFnOibj7Fz

— CBS New York (@CBSNewYork)
January 23, 2016

Here's a look at some of the flooding in Ocean City, NJ. More on #Blizzard2016 in NJ here: https://t.co/1avjIl0mZa pic.twitter.com/EDcEdhPnAt

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16h ago 19:32
New York City travel ban goes into effect

As of 2:30pm, you can be arrested for driving on New York City’s streets. The mayor enacted a travel ban Saturday after the city saw more snow more quickly than it expected.
The National Weather Service released this image of predicted snow totals just before noon on Saturday.
The National Weather Service released this image of predicted snow totals just before noon on Saturday. Photograph: National Weather Service / National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration/National Weather Service

At 4pm, service on outdoor subway lines will be suspended, as trains that service the suburbs of New York City in Long Island and Westchester County. Bridges and tunnels leading into New York City, including the George Washington Bridge, Holland Tunnel and Lincoln Tunnel, will also be closed. Governor Chris Christie shut down NJ Transit early Saturday morning.
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16h ago 19:05

Philadelphia remains under a blizzard warning until 6am Sunday, and public officials are reminding drivers to stay off the roads, but for now there are at least some people in the City of Brotherly Love enjoying the weather.

— Hadas Kuznits (@hadaskuznits)
January 23, 2016

More sledding video #blizzard2016 @KYWNewsradio @CBSPhilly pic.twitter.com/FJsMSUqK5E

The National Weather Service is predicting Philadelphia could see 18 inches of snow accumulation through Saturday afternoon. The city’s office of emergency management already clocked 17.1 inches of snow as of 9:45am.

It’s likely the blizzard will also become one of Philadelphia’s biggest ever snow events – the largest snowstorm in the city’s history was in 1996, according to Philly.com, when 31 inches of snow fell January 6-8.

The next highest totals were in 2009 and 2010, when 23.3 and 28.5 inches fell respectively.
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17h ago 18:39

In Pennsylvania, vehicles that got trapped on the turnpike Friday are still there today, as emergency crews attempt to dig them out, including two college athletic teams and a group of students from North Dakota.

Here’s a report from the Associated Press on the stranded travelers:

Snowbound college athletes who spent the night stranded on the Pennsylvania Turnpike munched on leftover pizza or watched movies to pass the time as they waited to be dug out by emergency crews tackling massive backups that stretched for miles after a powerful winter storm socked the region.

Cars, trucks and buses that got stuck Friday night still hadn’t moved on Saturday, including buses carrying the Duquesne men’s basketball team and the gymnastics squad from Temple University.

The National Guard was called out to provide food and water, as well as chains and shovels while emergency workers on all-terrain vehicles checked on stranded motorists. Officials closed a 90-mile stretch of the roadway to allow maintenance workers to focus on those who were stuck.

“We haven’t moved one inch,” said Duquesne coach Jim Ferry on Saturday morning. Ferry said his players were running out of the leftover pizza they bought on the way home from an 86-75 win over George Mason on Friday afternoon. “We’re getting pretty hungry,” he said. “We hope it starts moving pretty soon.”

— Duquesne Equipment (@DuqEquipment)
January 23, 2016

Walking to HOPEFULLY have dominos drop off pizza from an overpass. 3/4 mile in 2+ feet of snow pic.twitter.com/tMfuT1d89K

The governor’s office said the problems in Somerset County began after westbound tractor-trailers were unable to climb a hill. As traffic backed up behind them, more trucks also became unable to go up the hill, backing up all vehicles and preventing emergency crews from getting heavy-duty tow trucks to the scene and road crews from being able to clear the snow, officials said.

Temple gymnastics coach Umme Salim-Beasley said her team usually travels with a large amount of snacks “so those came in handy,” and fire department personnel brought them water.

“We always bring movies for our bus trip, and we have gone through all of them and we’ll probably start watching them again,” she said.

Ferry said his players were also in good spirits, passing the time with jokes and watching movies.

“But you got to remember we have some big guys, so it’s hard to sleep on a bus like this,” he said.

Salim-Beasley, however, said her team’s training has made spending hours on a cramped bus more bearable than it might be for others.

“We are a gymnastics team,” she said. “So we can get into positions that most people won’t be able to get into.”
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17h ago 18:20

Although New York and New Jersey have monopolized the last hour of our liveblog coverage with announcements of travel bans and mass transit shutdowns, conditions elsewhere on the Atlantic seaboard remain serious.

In Baltimore, Maryland, a blizzard warning remains in effect until 6am Sunday, and mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake told CNN that residents should remain indoors.

We have a ways to go – we’re a little more than halfway through. We know we’re going to have another surge of weather this evening so that’s why we’re telling people [to] please stay off the roads.

We think [the snowfall] might slow down a little bit, but this evening we’re thinking it’s going to go to [a rate of 2-3 inches per hour], plus the heavy winds, so that’s the problem.

It’s very dangerous – that’s why we want to make sure the roads stay as clear as possible.”

— T.J. Smith (@TJSmithMedia)
January 23, 2016

#Whiteout conditions on the #Baltimore beltway. Don't venture out unless it's an emergency. #BaltSnow #blizzard2016 pic.twitter.com/XNPiwsHvC5

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17h ago 18:00

And there it is: Broadway closes for the blizzard.

— Bill de Blasio (@BilldeBlasio)
January 23, 2016

All #Broadway matinee and evening shows today are cancelled.

— Dan Linden (@DanLinden)
January 23, 2016

Broadway listened to the mayor: All Broadway performances cancelled today #Blizzard2016 pic.twitter.com/dhtmd0jFNZ

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17h ago 17:57

And New York City will join state officials to ban travel as well:

— Bill de Blasio (@BilldeBlasio)
January 23, 2016

*TRAVEL BAN* Non-emergency travel in New York City is banned after 2:30PM today. pic.twitter.com/0dBjjVRThS

De Blasio is also urging restaurants and theaters to close.

It’s time for businesses to shut down and get their employees home right away,” the mayor said.

The travel ban means anyone on the road can be “subject to arrest” according to the New York Police Department and de Blasio. Here’s NYPD police chief James P. O’Neill:

Listen this is not what we want to do… We need our cops to be able to answer calls for service, not lock up people who made bad decisions… You are subject to arrest.”


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18h ago 17:49
Travel bans announced around New York City

New York governor Andrew Cuomo just announced travel bans in New York.

At 2:30pm a travel ban on New York state roads will go into effect.
Service on outside subway train lines will be suspended at 4pm.
Train service in New York’s suburbs will stop at 4pm, that includes service on the Long Island Railroad and Metro-North lines, which together services .
Bridges and tunnels from New Jersey to New York City will also close as part of the trave ban.

A vehicle crosses a snow-covered road near the Holland Tunnel during a snowstorm, Saturday, in Jersey City, N.J. Bridges and tunnels will officials shut down as part of a travel ban announced by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
A vehicle crosses a snow-covered road near the Holland Tunnel during a snowstorm, Saturday, in Jersey City, N.J. Bridges and tunnels will officials shut down as part of a travel ban announced by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. Photograph: Julio Cortez/AP

Here’s what a travel ban means in practice, from Cuomo:

Unless it is truly an emergency, you should not be on the road... I am not a hyper-cautious person, but the roads were truly, truly dangerous.

Now, to be on a banned road, you can be summonsed for being on the road when a ban is in place, and there can be points on your license, and significant fines.

So, what we’re saying is stay off the road – officially.”

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18h ago 17:30

New Jersey governor Chris Christie also took the flooding along the Jersey Shore to address a delayed dune project proposed after Hurricane Sandy devastated parts of the Jersey Shore.

The governor said he believes the project is necessary to protect communities. The project, which would dredge up high dunes that may block some beachfront homeowners’ ocean views, became so acrimonious that the state used its eminent domain powers to obtain the necessary easements. That caused homeowners in Bay Head to file suit in Ocean county court in October this year.

This is certainly not Super Storm Sandy, and those streets were already flooded this morning,” Christie said, referring to flooding along the Jersey shore caused by the blizzard’s high winds and tides.

“Again these are folks who are fighting against it not just at Point Pleasant beach, but at Ortley beach… Ortley beach is being pounded. Now, we put a lot of sand up there at the request of the mayor of Tom’s River, but that sand has already washed away. ...

They can send their thank you notes to the people in Bayhead and the people in Point Pleasant who continue to fight what is an environmentally sound [project]. ...

It’s three years post-Sandy, and it should not be held up by what I believe are a few very selfish homeowners.”

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18h ago 17:11

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo are considering closing Hudson River crossings as the storm worsens, he said Saturday.

That could stop traffic from crossing the 14-lane George Washington Bridge, one of the most crossed in the world.

At least 90,000 customers in New Jersey are without power, according to the state’s governor Chris Christie, and southern parts of the state are seeing street flooding.

This is my 17th snow emergency in six years, so we know how to do this ,” said Christie. ...

We’re in one of the heaviest snowbands right here in Sayerville through the north of the state. So, for the folks from here in Middlesex county north all the way up to Bergen county – stay home.”

Ice forms as the winter storm mixed with high tide causes flooding on Beach Avenue in Cape May New Jersey.
Ice forms as the winter storm mixed with high tide causes flooding on Beach Avenue in Cape May New Jersey. Photograph: Andrew Renneisen/Getty Images
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19h ago 16:52

We’re expecting New Jersey governor Chris Christie to update the public on conditions in the state within the hour.

The blizzard forced the governor and Republican presidential candidate to return from the New Hampshire campaign trail yesterday after he first committed to staying there.

Some parts of New Jersey are already seeing coastal flooding, an unnerving state of affairs for some communities which are still recovering from Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
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19h ago 16:48
Blizzard of 2016 could be among top five in New York City history
A view of Times Square as snow falls on Saturday in New York City. A deadly blizzard with bone-chilling winds and potentially record-breaking snowfall slammed the eastern US this weekend.
A view of Times Square as snow falls on Saturday in New York City. A deadly blizzard with bone-chilling winds and potentially record-breaking snowfall slammed the eastern US this weekend. Photograph: Kena Betancur/AFP/Getty Images

This storm will surpass 20 inches accumulation in New York City – when that happens ... it will be in the top five snowstorms literally in our recorded history,” said New York City mayor Bill de Blasio on Saturday.

“That says that people have to take very seriously what’s going on here, and recognize there’s a lot of danger, and a lot of disruption that’s going to take place here because of this storm.”

De Blasio said he is coordinating with Governor Andrew Cuomo to determine if the state city and state should enact a total travel ban, a decision he said could come within the hour.

Anyone who’s come into the city from the suburbs should turn around and go back. This is very, very fast accumulation, and I guarantee if people linger they will get stuc k.”

As of 10am, there was already 11.5 inches of snow in Central Park, considered the benchmark location for New York snowfall. City officials are preparing for as much as 30 inches.

Already, department of sanitation commissioner Kathryn Garcia said that the city has 2,500 piece of equipment clearing snow, and that workers had to start earlier than expected, at 5am Saturday.

We are seeing very intense snowfall out there, and I really do ask people get off the roads, because it’s dangerous if you’re a professional driver – it’s doubly dangerous if you don’t have that training.”

De Blasio also asked New Yorkers to shovel out fire hydrants that first responders might need during the course of the storm, and to watch closely any children playing in the snow.
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19h ago 16:28
New York officials consider travel ban as snow falls faster than expected

We’re listening to New York Mayor Bill De Blasio’s press conference now. Here’s a taste of what he’s saying:

This blizzard is likely to be among the top five worst in New York City’s history, going back to recorded storms in the 1800s. The storm will earn that distinction once snowfall totals hit 20 inches in Central Park.
Officials are planning for up to 30 inches of snow, and expecting up to 25 inches.
Snow is falling faster than expected, at between 1-3in per hour.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and De Blasio are seriously considering a total travel ban.
New York City buses will stop running in less than one hour.
The mayor is asking residents to stay off mass transit, including subway lines, and all roadways.

Updated at 4.31pm GMT
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20h ago 15:50

The National Zoo in Washington DC is closed … but the panda cameras keep rolling.
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20h ago 15:36

Reader Dan Broome sends a fairly representative photo of what New York looks like right now. Here at Guardian NY HQ the East River has vanished and the World Trade Center is a faint outline in the haze.
Empire State snowstorm - Dan Broome
The Empire State Building. Photograph: Dan Broome
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comments (1599)

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StevePrimus
10m ago

1 2

New Yorkers love to complain about something, anything. This storm is like the gift that keeps on giving.
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Tockolock
25m ago
2 3

When I was young we needed a rocket to look over the top of the drifts That was real snow not t

he 21st century joke snow. We were buried up to 200 miles deep in the stuff it took us two months to dig our way out. We had to eat most of the village, but we made it. Now that was a winter.
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http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/33-dead-after-monster/2457854.html

33 dead after monster blizzard hits US East Coast
The icy streets of the US capital remained largely deserted on Monday on the first work day after a mammoth blizzard smothered the East Coast, with schools and the federal government closed.

Posted 26 Jan 2016 02:33

PHOTOS

A motorist shovels snow out of her car in front of her home in Falmouth, Massachusetts, USA. A massive winter storm buried much of the US East Coast in a foot or more of snow. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

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WASHINGTON: The icy streets of the US capital remained largely deserted on Monday (Jan 25) on the first work day after a mammoth blizzard smothered the East Coast, with schools and the federal government closed as people dug their cars and doorways out from mountains of snow.

The storm was blamed for at least 33 deaths as it slammed a dozen states from Friday into early Sunday, many of them people who suffered heart attacks while shoveling, or killed on icy roads, though several died of carbon monoxide poisoning trying to keep warm in their cars or homes.

Washington's subway and bus network, closed all weekend, resumed service on Monday but on a very limited basis as crews worked to clear the streets. For a day, trains ran for free.

Under a sunny sky, the normally bustling avenues around the White House were all but empty as the capital - far less accustomed than its northern neighbor New York to heavy snowfall - slowly plowed and shoveled its way back to normal.

The few people out and about trudged through slush and ice and picked their way through sometimes chest-high drifts of snow piled up by plow trucks. Most restaurants, office buildings and stores remained closed.

"From my estimation we got more snow than I have ever seen in Washington, D.C.," Mayor Muriel Bowser told CNN. "We are working hard to dig out all of our residential streets."

Limited flight operations resumed on Monday from Washington's Reagan National and Dulles International airports on Monday, a day after officials battled in New York to get some aircraft off the ground.

More than 56 centimetres of snow paralysed Washington, while the 68 centimetres that fell in New York's Central Park was the second-highest accumulation since records began in 1869.

"We now know this blizzard came within .1 inch of being the biggest snowfall in history" in New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Monday morning. At one point, 2,500 snow plows were operating. "We were getting as much as three inches in an hour. So this really was the big one," he added.

NYC UP AND RUNNING

Near-record-breaking snowfall blanketed cities up and down the East Coast, with Philadelphia and Baltimore also on the receiving end of some of the worst that Mother Nature could fling at them.

Fatalities occurred in Arkansas, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

In Passaic, New Jersey, a 23-year-old and her one-year-old son died of carbon monoxide poisoning during the storm, while her three-year-old daughter was hospitalized in critical condition.

"The father was shoveling their car out and the wife and kids wanted to stay inside the car to keep warm," Detective Andrew White told AFP. "The car's exhaust pipe was covered and blocked with snowing causing carbon monoxide to enter the car."

An elderly couple in Greenville, South Carolina, also died of suspected carbon monoxide poisoning after setting up a generator in their garage to keep warm when the power went out, the Greenville County coroner Bobby Parks Evans told AFP.

Some 85 million residents in the storm's path were told to stay indoors for their own safety, and hundreds of thousands were left without power, including nearly 150,000 outages in North Carolina alone, emergency officials said.

Beyond the Big Apple and the US capital, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia were the hardest-hit areas. A few locations surpassed one-day and two-day snow records, said the National Weather Service.

As the storm ended and temperatures rose, New York emerged from total shutdown and lifted a sweeping travel ban on Sunday. Broadway resumed shows and museums reopened, as snow plows quickly cleared the main avenues and temperatures hovered at about 32 degrees Fahrenheit (zero Celsius).

Thousands of people flocked to parks, tobogganing, organising snowball fights and strapping on cross-country skis, as children delighted in a winter wonderland under glorious sunshine.

Jessica Edwards, a filmmaker from Canada, joined in the fun, pulling four-year-old daughter Hazel down a hill on a sled in a New York park. "Oh my God, she's so excited - we left the house this morning and we packed a bunch of stuff to make a snowman," she told AFP.

Schools in New York were open on Monday and the mass transit system was up and running for the most part.

But in Washington residents were bracing for the disruption to drag on for days, with the House of Representatives opting to remain out of session for the coming week due to the severity of the winter storm - with no votes set until Feb 1.

- AFP/de