l****z
发帖数: 29846 | 1 A deadly winter storm that layered the Southeast with ice and snow swung
into Washington, D.C., and New York on Thursday and headed northward,
leaving treacherous driving conditions and power failures in its wake.
The storm swept up the East Coast overnight, leading to the closure of
federal offices and public schools in and around Washington, where the
National Weather Service predicted some parts could get a foot or more of
snow. As much as 10 inches had already fallen in the Washington area by 8 a.
m. EST.
At least 17 deaths, most of them in traffic accidents, were blamed on the
storm, as it made its way across the South and up the coast, according to
the Associated Press.
Airline and rail service was disrupted by the storm. More than 3,600 flights
were canceled on Thursday, with most of those along the East Coast,
according to tracking service FlightAware. In the Northeast, rail operator
Amtrak was running a reduced schedule with some delays, "but nothing
significant," said spokesman Steve Kulm. A number of long-distance trains in
the Southeast were canceled, he said.
Meteorologists predicted 3 inches-4 inches of snow accumulation by noon in
the New York City area, as well as wind gusts of up to 35 miles an hour. In
a bright spot for cold-bitten New Yorkers, temperatures were expected to
reach a high of 33 degrees, the warmest in days, weather officials said.
New York City schools were open but most systems in suburban areas canceled
classes.
Nearly a foot or more of snow has fallen on the Washington area, paralyzing
the region. The federal government, schools and offices were closed, and
some major thoroughfares were shut while road crews struggled to keep up
with the fast-moving storm.
Avoiding a last-minute decision, the federal government told employees
Wednesday evening that offices would be closed the next day. Some area
school systems announced closures on Wednesday afternoon.
The White House canceled its daily briefing with reporters on Thursday
because of the weather, and Vice President Joe Biden canceled a trip to
Cambridge, Md., where he was scheduled to deliver remarks to the House
Democratic Caucus Issues Conference, which runs through Friday. In Cambridge
, which is on the Eastern Shore, driving rain washed away the overnight snow.
The White House also canceled an event with the president to launch the My
Brother's Keeper initiative, a program to support young minority men. The
White House said the event would be rescheduled.
Light sleet replaced snow in parts of the Washington region early Thursday
afternoon. Precipitation had stopped in other areas, though the National
Weather Service said a winter storm warning remained in effect. It forecast
another two-to-four inches of snow to fall later in the day.
Around the region, 18-inches of snow fell in Frederick, Md., about 50 miles
northwest of Washington, and as much as 15 inches blanketed Baltimore.
Nearly a foot of snow had fallen in parts of the District of Columbia and 14
-inches accumulated at Dulles International Airport, west of the city, the
Weather Service said.
With the worst of the storm having passed through the region, the Washington
Metropolitan Area Transit Authority said it would restart limited bus
service around 2 p.m. on major roads.
Washington's Metro rail system continued to operate through the storm. But
ridership was "anemic" on Thursday morning, about 6% of what would have been
expected without the storm, spokesman Dan Stessel said. The system, which
operates both below and above ground, continued to run near its normal
midday schedule of trains every six to 10 minutes. "Running the trains is
the best way to keep snow from accumulating on the tracks," Mr. Stessel said
. "This will help us maintain service once the storm passes."
Meantime, the National Park Service closed portions of the George Washington
Parkway, a major route through Northern Virginia from the beltway into the
city. The heaviest bands of snow fell right along the heavily traveled I-95
freeway between Washington and Baltimore, said Brendan McCluskey, director
of emergency preparedness for Maryland. "Thankfully we've had no major
incidences and no fatalities" he said on Thursday morning. "People are
staying off the roads and allowing the plows and crews to do their work."
As of 8 a.m. EST, runways were closed at Washington Dulles International and
Reagan National airports, according to the airport authority. Flights were
also being delayed or canceled at Baltimore-Washington International Airport.
The storm dropped 19 inches of snow on Buffalo Gap in rural western Virginia
, and less in other areas of the state, said Dawn Eischen, spokeswoman for
the state's Department of Emergency Management.
By 11:30 a.m., the Virginia State Police had responded to nearly 1,000
accidents since the storm began. Two deaths were blamed on the storm: a
fatal crash on Wednesday in Halifax County, on the North Carolina border,
and the death on Thursday morning of a Virginia Transportation Department
contract worker who was hit by a dump truck, while he was standing on the
side of a road in Loudon County.
Around 9 a.m., about 7,200 customers were without power across the state,
mostly in central Virginia. "As it stands right now the power outages haven'
t been as bad as we thought," Ms. Eischen said. "But this storm is still
here. We are expecting a little more precipitation today…and that could
potentially cause more power outages, more travel difficulties for people."
A passenger took a nap as work crews continued to clear snow from the
runways at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Va., Thursday. EPA
The Maryland State Police put an additional 150 troopers on the highways on
Thursday as a result of the winter weather. And Maryland Gov. Martin O'
Malley declared a state of emergency on Wednesday evening, even before snow
began to fall in most of the state. The declaration allowed for the
deployment of the National Guard to respond to the storm. State government
offices were closed Thursday.
The storm has already left more than 400,000 people without power in the
Carolinas and Georgia, with many those outages along the Carolina coast and
in the Atlanta area. The storm has been blamed for several deaths.
The tail end of the storm is set to leave Georgia and the Carolinas on
Thursday, leaving behind a thick layer of ice and snow. Metro Atlanta and
most of Georgia remain hunkered down, with Gov. Nathan Deal and other
officials urging people to stay home until the snow and ice are completely
gone. Schools, government offices and most businesses remained closed.
Forecasts are for daytime temperatures to rise above freezing, so melting is
expected though any remaining water will likely refreeze overnight, making
roads dangerous through Friday morning. The National Weather Service expects
the sun to shine in the Atlanta area for part of Thursday, with
temperatures rising to a high of 45 degrees.
Trees laden with ice remain a concern across the Southeast. Sagging pine
trees in rural areas and along the coast have been falling over and knocking
down power lines. Trees and limbs have fallen on homes and across roads.
Interstates and major roads were slushy and lined with abandoned cars at
some intersections, but relatively clear overnight. Traffic jams in
Charlotte and Raleigh, N.C., had cleared Wednesday evening for the most part.
The majestic, 2.5-mile Arthur J. Ravenel Bridge linking Charleston, S.C., to
Mount Pleasant and the beaches remained closed Thursday morning because of
ice accumulation on the bridge and its cables.
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley told people without power or stranded away
from home that relatively warmer temperatures should help melt the ice. "
Tomorrow will be a better day!" she wrote on her Facebook FB +3.96% page
late Wednesday.
—Eric Morath and Ben Leubsdorf contributed to this article. | D****g
发帖数: 1551 | 2 我们公司今天10点才上班， 很多人从家里上班。
今早用了2个多小时才联进公司的网络， 太多人用VPN了。 | c****p
发帖数: 6474 | 3 贵司是intel么……
【在 D****g 的大作中提到】
: 我们公司今天10点才上班， 很多人从家里上班。
: 今早用了2个多小时才联进公司的网络， 太多人用VPN了。
|
|
