NewsRescue
At least 89 people have died in weather-related accidents across the United States in recent days, according to a CBS News report on Sunday, as dangerously frigid temperatures continue to affect various sections of the country.
Tens of millions of people in the United States were once again subjected to severely cold weather this weekend as a blast of chilly Arctic air moved southward from Canada, sending temperatures dropping to record lows and blanketing parts of the country with heavy amounts of snow.
The cold varies by region, but in Chicago, wind chills dropped temperatures to -30 degrees Fahrenheit (-34 degrees Celsius). Temperatures in Texas, Alabama, and Georgia stayed around 20 degrees Fahrenheit (-6.6 degrees Celsius)
Tennessee’s Department of Health has confirmed at least 25 fatalities associated with the weather conditions over the past several days, CBS said, while another 16 have died in various incidents in Oregon in the western US. This includes three people who were killed in the state when a tree fell on their car.
Oregon has declared a state of emergency after more than 45,000 people were left without power as a result of storms.
Other states that have reported deaths include Illinois, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, Washington, New York, and New Jersey. Several other fatalities, including one died in a five-car incident in Kentucky, are being reviewed to see whether severe weather conditions were the major cause.
In Mississippi, officials have advised residents to be wary of hazardous road conditions and to “drive only if necessary.”
Forecasters predict that bitterly cold, below-average temperatures will persist during the coming week. “Arctic air will combine with moisture from the Gulf to create an icy mess from Oklahoma to Illinois,” meteorologist Molly McCollum predicted. “Travel will be treacherous on Monday.”
Early this week, the eastern half of the United States will likely experience its coldest weather of the season, with dangerous wind chills and a hard freeze warning issued as far south as northern Florida.
Temperatures are forecast to rise by midweek, providing some relief; but, the Weather Channel warns that this could quickly thaw ice and snow, increasing the risk of flooding in some locations.