The powerful winter storm that has been hitting much of the northeastern United States on Monday, causing flight cancellations and the closure of many communication routes, has claimed at least one casualty, according to a police report.
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The Nor’easter, as the natural phenomenon that usually brings storms along the east coast of the United States in the winter season is known, has left more than 16 inches of snow in New York, according to the National Weather Service, and even more was expected volume.
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Police in Allentown, Pennsylvania, reported that a 67-year-old woman with Alzheimer’s disease had called her after she had left her home. She was later found lying in the snow, dead of hypothermia, according to the county coroner.
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The storm caused a total of 1,696 flight cancellations from, to and within the United States, according to the FlightAware monitoring site, and for this Tuesday 510 itineraries have already been canceled.
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“This is extremely heavy snow,” warned New York Mayor Bill de Blasio. “It’s blinding snow. You don’t want to be outside if there’s any way around it.”
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A foot of snow fell in much of New Jersey, while Roxbury, Connecticut, and Framingham, Massachusetts received about 18 inches. The National Weather Service said parts of Pennsylvania reported accumulations of up to 18 inches.
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A frequent phenomenon
Javier Serrano, a Univision meteorologist, explained that Nor’easter is a totally frequent natural phenomenon that consists of storms that move along the east coast of the United States and that acquires its name due to the winds that affect the northeast of the nation.
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“Sometimes they become dangerous because the winds bring with them extremely low temperatures and precipitations of snow or frozen rain that can cause accidents and damage to electricity,” Serrano argued.
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” This phenomenon is caused by the dynamic conditions that accumulate on the northeast coast of the nation and there are really years when they are stronger, as happens with hurricanes in Florida, “said Serrano, explaining that even in a year there can be several Nor’easter storms, he also argued that, despite the fact that some sites such as the Weather Channel give them specific names, the National Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) does not endorse this practice, therefore it is preferable not to do so.
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Precisely, NOAA has pointed out that Nor’easter is more frequent and violent between September and April, but that it can even occur at any time of the year.
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According to this agency, among the Nor’easter that caused the most damage in the United States, is the notorious storm of March 1888, which left up to 55 inches of snow in some areas and caused the death of about 400 people, in addition to the storm of snow that many called the ‘Ash Wednesday storm’, which occurred in March 1962 and produced accumulations of up to 42 inches. During these dates, some 40 deaths related to the natural phenomenon were registered. Both left millions of dollars in losses on the east coast of the country.
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“Generally, these storms reach their maximum strength near the state of New England and as they pass they generate hurricane force winds and even occasionally produce rough seas and coastal flooding,” explained NOAA scientists.
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“Another snowstorm is coming for the weekend”
According to Albert Martínez, head of meteorology at Univision, the current Nor’easter would be leaving snow accumulations of 25 inches or more in coastal areas, in addition to very low temperatures.
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“This squall will be present possibly until Tuesday night or Wednesday morning. You can expect winds of up to 60 miles per hour and freezing temperatures between 10 and 15 degrees Fahrenheit,” Martinez said, noting that for next weekend another snowstorm that would affect the northeast of the country and that according to the models, would leave snow accumulations of up to 20 inches.
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Winter storm in the US: How will the weather forecast for the next few days?
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“It will not be an easy task to remove the snow from the streets and sidewalks, especially when we know that another heavy snowfall is approaching over the same area. It is necessary that people take all precautions and avoid going out,” he said the expert.
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Until now, el Nor’easter It caused the cancellation of hundreds of flights and the closure of many airports in states on the northeast coast of the country, in addition to the cancellation of covid-19 vaccines and the suspension of classes in person.
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