NEW JERSEY: Severe weather wreaked havoc across the United States on Tuesday, leaving a trail of destruction and impacting various regions. The Eastern Seaboard, from the Mid-Atlantic to the Northeast, experienced heavy rain, flash flooding, and wind gusts exceeding 55 miles per hour, prompting New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy to caution residents about the unusual storm. Unprecedented rainfall in January and strong winds battering the coastline contributed to the severity of the weather.
Tornadoes struck the Southeast, particularly the Florida panhandle, causing damage to buildings and downing trees. Tragically, three storm-related deaths occurred in the South. Catawba County in North Carolina reported one fatality in a mobile home park, while another person lost their life when a tree fell on their vehicle in Jonesboro, Georgia. An 81-year-old woman perished in Alabama when a tornado hit her mobile home.
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Power outages affected over 890,000 customers, primarily in the Eastern part of the country, adding to the challenges posed by the storm. The central region experienced heavy snowfall, with rates reaching 1-2 inches per hour in the upper Midwest, shifting towards the Great Lakes. In the Northwest, blizzard warnings, a rarity in the past decade, were issued for the Cascade and Olympic mountains, with conditions expected to persist, bringing significant snowfall.
Flight disruptions mounted, with over 1,300 cancellations and 8,600 delays reported on Tuesday. Some cancellations were attributed to the grounding of certain Boeing 737 MAX jets for inspection following an incident where a panel ripped off an Alaska Airlines plane mid-flight the previous week.
The broader impact of climate change on weather patterns was underscored by scientists, emphasizing the link between rising global temperatures due to fossil fuel consumption and the increasing unpredictability of weather events. As the planet warms, the expectation is for more intense storms, coupled with periods of extreme heat and drought, placing additional stress on water resources. The recent severe weather incidents serve as a stark reminder of the challenges posed by climate change and the need for proactive measures to address its consequences.
