US East Coast freezes under 'bomb cyclone'
What's the story
The East Coast of the US reeled under unsually cold weather with heavy winds and snowfall as a 'bomb cyclone' hit parts of Florida, Georgia, Boston, New York, South and North Carolina and other regions.
Thousands of flights were delayed or cancelled.
Schools were closed, roadways flooded and power connections snapped. At least four deaths were reported.
Find out what's a bomb cyclone.
Twitter Post
Visuals of the storm
Storm Surge #BrantRock pic.twitter.com/PguCPLiFJl
— jeff simpson (@jsimp1610_) January 4, 2018
Definition
What is a bomb cyclone?
Bomb cylone, technically 'bombogenesis,' is a storm characterized by rapidly falling atmospheric pressure (at least 24 millibars in 24 hours).
This happens when a pocket of warm air meets one of cold air, thus initiating air movement. The earth's rotation creates a cyclonic effect.
They are also called Nor'easter or mid-latitude cyclone
This storm might break records due to its intensity, weathermen say.
Effect
Flooded roads, no electricity, flights cancelled
Due to the storm, over 46,000 were left without electricity. At least 8mn are under blizzard warning.
JFK Airport remained shut for long hours. Operations are expected to resume today. LaGuardia reopened after a temporary suspension.
Cars were frozen in floodwaters even as several feet of snow piled up.
500 National Guard members were activated along the East Coast for rescue operations, CNN reported.
Do you know?
Frozen iguanas falling from trees in Florida
In Florida, locals have reported frozen iguanas falling from trees! However, specialists have warned they are probably not dead: the will keep breathing for a couple of days while cold-stunned. But if temperature remains below 45 degrees for longer, they will likely die.
Heating oil
Heating oil, natural gas prices rise sharply on high demand
Amid the intense cold, prices of heating oil and natural gas touched their highest levels in years. Average prices in the US for the January 1 week increased to $3.078 a gallon, a rise of 5.4% since last week.
Though major companies assured adequate supply and "no immediate reliability issues", the loss of the Pilgrim Station in Massachusetts poses a challenge, Bloomberg reported.
Prediction
Storm expected to move into Canada by next week
This holiday season has been one of the coldest on the East Coast, with temperatures dropping to unsually low figures.
With the bomb, almost the entire region is now covered by snow. Accumulation is expected to decrease towards the south. The northeast is the worst-affected.
Relief isn't likely till next week, till the storm starts moving towards Canada.