A fierce winter storm has battered large parts of the United States, bringing whiteout conditions, treacherous roads, and heavy rains.
From massive vehicle pileups in the Pacific Northwest to flash floods in California and tornadoes in Mississippi, the extreme weather has caused chaos, leaving many injured and thousands without power.
California hit by torrential rain and mudslides
While the Pacific Northwest battled ice, Southern California faced a different crisis—too much rain too quickly. The strongest atmospheric river of the season brought torrential downpours, triggering mudslides, rockslides, and flash flooding.
A rockslide in Malibu Canyon and a mudslide in the Hollywood Hills covered roads in thick mud. In Pacific Palisades, some areas were buried in waist-deep sludge. Officials ordered evacuations in parts of Los Angeles hit by last month’s wildfires, fearing more mudslides.
“If you can, stay off the roads today, especially this afternoon and evening,” the National Weather Service posted on X.
Rainfall totals reached 15 cm in mountain areas and 8 cm in coastal and valley regions. Strong winds knocked down trees, caused power outages, and disrupted flights.
Despite the heavy rain, Southern California remains in extreme drought. Climate scientist Daniel Swain warned, “This storm might bring too much too quickly.”
Ice storm triggers highway chaos in Oregon
Blinding snow and ice caused a major pileup on Interstate 84 near Multnomah Falls, about 40 km east of Portland. Initial reports suggested more than 100 vehicles were involved, but state officials later confirmed the number was closer to 20-30. The Oregon State Police responded to eight separate crashes, with at least four people hospitalised with minor injuries.
Authorities struggled to determine the full scale of the incident due to harsh conditions. “High winds, snow, and ice made it difficult to assess how many vehicles were involved,” said state transportation spokesperson Ryan McCrary. An SUV caught fire in the crash, but its occupants escaped.
Officials in Multnomah County extended a state of emergency through Friday, setting up eight emergency shelters as temperatures dropped to -12°C with wind chill. More than 480 people sought refuge in shelters on Wednesday night. The region braced for up to 7.6 cm of snow, with wind gusts reaching 72 km/h.
Further north, in Washington state, a 22-vehicle pileup on Interstate 5 near the Cowlitz River left six people injured. Authorities reported 95 crashes across five counties in southwest Washington on Thursday alone.
Storm surge across the country
In San Francisco’s Bay Area, the storm caused power outages, minor landslides, and flooded roads. Authorities urged evacuations in Felton Grove, fearing the San Lorenzo River would overflow. North of the city, wine country braced for flooding along the Russian river.
Las Vegas had its first rain in 214 days on Thursday, breaking a long dry spell. In northern Utah, snow and rain made mountain roads to ski resorts dangerous.
East Coast and South hit hard
The storm extended its grip to the East Coast, dumping heavy snow and freezing rain from Kentucky to Washington, DC. Dozens of school districts in New England closed or delayed classes due to dangerous roads. In Maine, a tractor-trailer crash on the Maine Turnpike left two people dead.
By Thursday night, nearly 130,000 people in Virginia and 6,600 in North Carolina were still without power.
In Mississippi, two brief EF-0 tornadoes touched down on Wednesday, tearing the steel roof off an industrial building and damaging homes in Columbia. No deaths or major injuries were reported.
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