Schools and government offices in many parts of the US have been shut down due to warnings from the National Weather Service. As per AFP, the death count from powerful winter storms 'Blair' in the central and eastern United States has risen to at least 14.
As per a report in India Today, "Extreme weather conditions have forced mass school closures across Chicago and Ohio. Many districts have also announced a two-hour delay as weather conditions are expected to deteriorate in the coming days. Northeast-central Ohio and Chicago are likely to be affected by wind chills, causing temperatures to drop to 0 degrees."
Several parts of the US are covered with snow, ice and high winds due to the severe winter storm. The governor urged people to stay off roads across the state, where local and federal authorities have declared a state of emergency. The storm has created harsh travel conditions and disrupted daily life in parts of the US.
In its Monday advisory, the NWS warned that the cold weather system would impact a vast area, sending temperatures tumbling in the central plains, the eastern seaboard and as far south as the Gulf coast.
Power to thousands of homes had been restored by Monday, but more than 50,000 customers remained without electricity in the states of West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland, according to monitoring website poweroutage.us.
(With inputs from AFP)
