Heavy snow, high winds threaten U.S. East Coast, thousands of flights cancelled
CBC
A powerful nor'easter swept up the U.S. East Coast on Saturday, threatening to bury parts of 10 states under deep, furiously falling snow accompanied by coastal flooding and high winds that could cut power and leave people shivering in the cold weather expected to follow.
Philadelphia, New York and Boston — the latter of which was under a blizzard warning and forecast to get as much as 60 centimetres of snow — were all in the path of the storm. Airlines cancelled more than 3,000 flights at some of the country's busiest airports. Amtrak suspended or limited service on the Boston-to-Washington corridor.
Officials from Virginia to Maine warned people to stay off the roads amid potential whiteout conditions.
Rhode Island, all of which was under a blizzard warning, banned all non-emergency road travel starting at 8 a.m.
"This is serious. We're ready for this storm, and we also need Rhode Islanders to be ready," Gov. Dan McKee said. "The best way to handle this storm is to stay home tomorrow."
Delaware allowed only essential personnel to drive in two of its three counties starting Friday night. Massachusetts, where forecasters said some isolated pockets could get as much as 76 centimetres of snow, banned heavy trucks from interstate highways for most of Saturday.
Shoppers crammed stores Friday to stock up on food and buy generators and snowblowers ahead of the nor'easter, a type of storm so named because its winds typically blow from the northeast as it churns up the East Coast.
Many hardy New Englanders took the forecast cheerfully and even looked forward to the storm, given its weekend timing.
Marc Rudkowski, 28, bought French bread and wine Friday at the Star Market in Cambridge, Mass., along with balloons and toys for his dog, who turned 1 on Friday.
"He's going to love it," Rudkowski said. "He's a snow dog."
Merrick McCormack was calm as he unloaded his groceries at a supermarket in Warwick, R.I.
"I don't fuss with storms. I know in a couple of days, we're going to be free and clear. No need to panic," said McCormack, 51, of Cranston.
But there were some concerns about hoarding amid ongoing supply chain issues caused by the pandemic. New England supermarket giant Stop & Shop pleaded with customers to practice restraint.
"We ask shoppers to buy what they need and save some for their neighbors," the chain said in a statement.
