After devastating the south, a big winter storm flooded highways, closed schools, and knocked out electricity in the Northeast on Wednesday, killing at least five.
After hammering the region with wind gusts up to 95 mph, the storm headed north into Canada later Wednesday. Windy weather was forecast into the evening. The National Weather Service predicts another severe storm will hit the East Coast by Friday, bringing more cold air and snow.
Forecasters warned that up to 3 inches of rain on very saturated and snow-covered terrain increased the chance of flooding, especially in low-lying and coastal mid-Atlantic and New England locales.
Over 189,000 New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania utility customers lost power Wednesday afternoon. Many schools delayed or canceled lessons due to the storm. Blizzards, torrential rain, and violent winds hit over 30 states and 2 million square miles on Tuesday. Five deaths and several injuries were recorded in the Midwest and Southeast. At least three tornadoes with 106 mph winds were verified in the Florida Panhandle on Tuesday. In the Pacific Northwest, a blizzard that peaked on Tuesday has made mountain roads in the Cascades and Olympics perilous.
The meteorological agency predicts the central U.S. will receive the coldest air of the season this weekend as a cold front moves south and high pressure builds to the north. Friday and Saturday highs in the Northern Rocky Mountains and Northern Plains could reach 10 to 20 degrees below zero, and wind chills could increase hypothermia and frostbite concerns. The Connecticut Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security rescinded a mandatory evacuation order due to a partially damaged dam Wednesday after hundreds of people were displaced.
The evacuation zone was along the Yantic River from Bozrah to Uncas Falls in downtown Norwich, 45 miles northeast of New Haven.
Norwich Public Utilities stated, “The City Manager has determined that the Yantic River Flood Zone must be evacuated to protect residents’ life and safety.
The Red Cross constructed an emergency shelter at Kelly Middle School in Norwich to aid hundreds of displaced people.