January 9, 2024 - Winter storm slams central and eastern US

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Nearly 900,000 utility customers in the US were without power as of 11 p.m. ET Tuesday following severe storms, according to tracker PowerOutage.us.

Outages remain highest in the Mid-Atlantic but are rising across the Northeast.

Outages are expected to rise further in the Northeast as high wind gusts and heavy rainfall impact much of the region. 

Here are the where the majority of outages are as of 11 p.m. ET :

• Pennsylvania: 198,000
• New York: 162,000
• North Carolina: 112,000
• New Jersey: 97,000
• Virginia: 63,000
• Maryland: 42,000
• Georgia: 47,000

The storm wreaking havoc across US has dropped a foot or more of snow in some locations in the Central Plains, according to the National Weather Service.

Some storm totals include: 

• North Liberty, Iowa: 15 inches
• Iowa City, Iowa: 15 inches
• North Sioux City, South Dakota: 14 inches
• Lewiston, Nebraska: 13.5 inches
• Muscoda, Wisconsin: 12 inches
• Monument, Kansas: 12 inches

Though winter weather alerts have dropped off for the Central Plains, they remain until Wednesday morning for the Midwest and Great Lakes, where an additional 1-3 inches of snow and wind gusts to 40 mph are possible. 

Winter weather alerts also are set to remain until Wednesday afternoon for parts of the interior Northeast and New England, where snow totals up to 12 inches and wind gusts up to 55 mph are possible. 

There have been more than 1,350 flight cancellations and more than 8,700 flight delays across the country on Tuesday due to severe weather that continues to disrupt travel in the eastern US, according to FlightAware. 

At least seven people were rescued from vehicles in Prince George's County, Maryland, prompting multiple water rescues following severe weather throughout the state, according to the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department.

No injuries were reported during the rescues.

About 73 miles north in Harford County, at least seven people were rescued from two vehicles in the area, the fire department said.

Some homes in Harford County are also being evacuated as the waters continue to rise, the department said.

More than 300 storms have been reported across the central and eastern US on Monday and Tuesday as a potent storm moves through the region, bringing a variety of weather impacts. 

At least 23 tornados have been reported as of 9 p.m. EST, with nine occurring on Monday and 14 occurring on Tuesday. Tornado reports occurred in Texas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.

Surveys and information regarding the notable tornado reports — especially the ones that are linked to fatalities — will continue to be released in the coming days. 

There have also been over 250 high-wind reports, including 45 on Monday and 232 on Tuesday as power outages continue to rise.

There were also 15 large hail reports across the Gulf Coast on Monday.

Here are Monday's notable weather reports:

• High wind (all in Florida): Navarre: 87 mph wind; Magnolia Beach: 80 mph wind; Pensacola: 76 mph wind
• Large hail: Gonzales, Texas: 3 inches hail; Dothan, Alabama: 2.75 inches hail; Southport, Florida: 2.00 inches; Lake Charles, Louisiana: 2.00 inches hail

Here are Tuesday's notable weather reports:

• High wind: Starksville, Georgia: 93 mph wind; Navarre, Florida: 87 mph wind; Du Pont, Georgia: 80 mph wind; Winyah Bay, South Carolina: 76 mph wind; Mexico Beach, Florida: 75 mph wind.
• Power outages as of 9 p.m. EST: Pennsylvania: 179,000 outages; North Carolina: 146,000 outages; New York: 115,000 outages; Virginia: 59,000 outages; Maryland: 52,000 outages; New Jersey: 46,000 outages; Delaware: 30,000 outages.

Officials in Annapolis, Maryland, are expecting floodwaters to reach historic heights as severe weather moves through the state capital on Tuesday.

As of Tuesday evening, there were multiple roads closed and many power outages, Mitchelle Stephenson, the city spokesperson, told CNN.

Stephenson said she expects this flooding to be “historic” and in the top five worst the city has seen. 

“Right now we’re at a little over 3 feet and we’re expected to get to 5 feet overnight,” Stephenson said. 

The city received and then put up a flooding barricade on Tuesday — what they called a "flood boom" — in preparation for the severe weather and to deal with the flooding they typically see in the area

After its installation, the barricade successfully prevented water from spilling onto roads, Stephenson said, adding the city is hoping to receive more in the future to help with other weather events.

In a video posted to the city’s Instagram, Mayor Gavin Buckley described the barrier as working “excellently” since its installation.

Annapolis also deployed sandbags to help combat the weather, as officials warn residents there could be downed trees and power lines because of the weather.

As winter storms track across the central and eastern United States, more than 40 million people are under a severe storm threat — with at least thousands of them having lost power.

“When a storm hits and the power goes out for an extended period of time, people are going to either buy a portable generator to power their home or pull out the one they already have,” Nicolette Nye, a spokesperson for the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, told CNN in 2021.

But there are risks: Incorrectly using a generator can lead to dangerous consequences, such as electric shock or electrocution, fire, or carbon monoxide poisoning from engine exhaust, according to the US Consumer Product and Safety Commission.

Since storms began occurring in late December, the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention “has received 16 reports of probable carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning from eight separate incidents, all related to improper generator usage,” according to the office of state Gov. Janet Mills.

If you’re without power and thinking of using a portable generator, here are seven tips for doing it safely.

The Iowa State Patrol released statistics Tuesday evening on the number of service calls they were involved in between 8 a.m. on January 8 and 4 p.m. today (local time).

The law enforcement agency said the calls for service included 171 crashes covered, 153 property damage, 18 personal injuries and 482 motorist assists.

State Patrol noted there were zero fatalities. 

Portions of Iowa continue to be under winter storm warnings, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).