America buckles under extreme weather

"Unusual" storm

The US National Weather Service (NWS) reported heavy rain leading to flash floods, wind gusts of more than 80 km/h and thunderstorms hitting the East Coast of the country, from the Mid-Atlantic to the Northeast, according to AFP. In particular, a major winter storm caused flooding and strong winds to hit the coast of New Jersey on the evening of January 9 (yesterday morning Vietnam time). "Do not underestimate this situation," Mr. Phil Murphy, Governor of New Jersey, warned in an interview with local press. He described the new storm as "unusual", citing storms that brought heavy rainfall in January and strong winds to the coast. Mr. Murphy had to declare a state of emergency due to dangerous weather conditions, according to WPVI.

Houses damaged after a tornado swept through Perdido Key, Florida on January 9.

The storm also moved toward Maine, with flooding rain, fierce winds, and heavy snowfall from the evening of January 9 through January 10. The heavy rain and flooding caused some Maine school districts to cancel classes or dismiss students early on January 9, according to The New York Times. Heavy rain also fell on New York City, creating the risk of widespread flooding in areas with poor drainage systems, according to ABC News.

In addition, tornadoes swept through the Southeast region of the United States, including the state of Florida. Drone images showed uprooted trees and damaged buildings. Officials said at least three people were killed by the storm in the three states of North Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. Among them, one person died when a tree fell on the windshield of a car in Jonesboro, Georgia.

Widespread power outage

Heavy snowfall is also forecast for parts of the Midwest, the NWS said on January 9. And in the Northwest, the first blizzard warning in a decade has been issued for parts of the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges, according to The New York Times . Blizzard conditions are expected to continue through January 10, with heavy snowfall possible in the Cascade area. Heavy snowfall is also forecast for several hours in the mountains of western Maine, with up to 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 centimeters) possible.

Snowstorm in Lawrence, Massachusetts (USA) on January 7

As severe weather rages across the United States, authorities are warning people to prepare for power outages. As of the evening of January 9, more than 890,000 customers in the US were without power, mostly on the East Coast, according to AFP, citing data from Poweroutage.us , a site that tracks utility information. Of those, more than 275,000 customers from Texas to North Carolina were without power on the morning of January 9. Ms. Nguyen, a Vietnamese-American living near Dallas, Texas, told Thanh Nien yesterday that the area where she lives is forecast to have snowfall early next week. "The weather in Texas is very unpredictable, there can be up to four seasons in one day," Ms. Nguyen said.

Scientists say that as humanity continues to warm the planet, weather patterns will become less predictable. That means more powerful storms, along with hotter, drier periods and potentially depleted water supplies, according to AFP.

US Vice President's plane diverted due to bad weather

Severe weather forced US Vice President Kamala Harris' plane to divert as it returned from Atlanta, Georgia, on the evening of January 9. According to AFP, Air Force Two was diverted to Dulles International Airport in Virginia instead of landing at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. The weather also had a major impact on air travel, with more than 1,300 flights canceled and 8,600 delayed in the US on January 9, according to AFP citing data from FlightAware.com .

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/my-oan-minh-duoi-thoi-tiet-cuc-doan-185240110230147394.htm