HIBAPRESS
An exceptional winter storm that hit about 40 American states on Saturday led to the cancellation or postponement of more than 4,200 flights at various local and international airports, according to the flight tracking website "FlightAware".
The website indicated that 3,600 flights were canceled, while about 650 other flights were postponed. It was also announced that 4,800 additional flights were canceled for Sunday, amid warnings from the authorities that the storm could affect more than 160 million people, equivalent to about half of the United States population.
The US National Weather Service expected the storm to bring heavy snowfall, freezing rain, and a sharp drop in temperatures, starting Friday evening, initially covering the south of the "Rocky Mountains" and the American West, before extending north and east during the weekend.
Reports also indicated that wind chill temperatures dropped to levels as low as 45 degrees Celsius below zero in North and South Dakota and Minnesota. Winter storm warnings covered about 140 million people, from New Mexico to New England, with the possibility that the damage in some areas could be similar to that caused by a hurricane.
In the face of this situation, the governors of more than 12 states declared a state of emergency, calling on citizens to stay in their homes. While US President Donald Trump confirmed via social media that his administration is closely monitoring the situation, and that the Federal Emergency Management Agency is ready to intervene when necessary.
