A nor’easter has made its way across the East Coast as Maine braces for 22 inches of snow and New York City was inundated by a massive storm.
The intense storm surge that began Wednesday is expected to accumulate snow, rain, sleet and strong winds through Thursday.
Heavy snow fell in Maine on Wednesday night as drivers tried to shelter from the weather on the roads. The images showed how the snow made driving difficult, making visibility almost zero against the night sky.
In the Big Apple, commuters struggled on their way home from work as high winds, thunder and lightning consumed the city. Stunning photographs detail the moment lightning struck the Statue of Liberty, making it look like something generated by special effects from a movie.
Flood watches have been issued from Pennsylvania to New York City as 60 mph wind gusts extend into the Boston area.
A large lightning bolt was seen striking the Liberty State directly above the torch flame Wednesday night.
A tunnel of snow was seen hitting a driver’s windshield on a dark highway in Maine as the streets filled with sleet.
Flood watches have been issued from Pennsylvania to New York City as 60 mph wind gusts extend into the Boston area.
At least a foot of snow is possible in stretches of New England and upstate New York, with some areas getting twice as much.
More than 200,000 homes nationwide were without power Wednesday morning, according to USA Todayafter strong winds and torrential rain downed trees and power lines in Wisconsin, Ohio, West Virginia, Michigan and Kentucky.
The storm has already spawned several suspected tornadoes, sweeping through Alabama, West Virginia, Tennessee, Illinois and Kentucky.
In Georgia, a confirmed tornado damaged homes in Atlanta and left 10,000 people in the dark.
A tree on the Upper East Side was toppled by strong winds and crushed a car parked near the sidewalk.
Another tree fell in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, killing an elderly woman by crushing her car.
In the Big Apple, commuters struggled on their way home from work as high winds, thunder and lightning consumed the city.
Blue sedan crushed by large downed tree in West Virginia on Wednesday
Two other people were reported to have died due to bad weather. One of them was a young man who died in a traffic accident in Campbell, Kentucky, during Tuesday’s storms.
The other was a 46-year-old homeless woman who died in Tulsa, Oklahoma, after trying to take shelter in a storm drain.
A flight attendant and a passenger on a Southwest flight from New Orleans to Orlando were injured by rocky turbulence and the plane had to make a stopover in Tampa.
More than 6,000 flights were delayed on Wednesday and many of them experienced severe turbulence.
Schools in Massachusetts were canceled Thursday as sleet turned to snow that covered roads.
A storage shed in West Virginia was overturned by the severe storm that hit the area the day before.
A storage shed in West Virginia was overturned by the strong storm that hit the area the day before
Three lightning bolts lit up the sky as they hit the Statue of Liberty during Northeastern Easter
Puddles of water lined the streets of New York City as people tried to avoid the wet, rainy weather Wednesday night.
The intense storm surge that began Wednesday is expected to accumulate snow, rain, sleet and strong winds through Thursday. A man is seen using a snow blower to clear sidewalks in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Salt and plow crews not expecting winter weather this late in spring have prepared for a busy night to keep roads clear and safe.
Nick Cruz, a plow driver, said WCVB: “We didn’t expect it, but we are definitely prepared to face it with all our equipment and trucks.”
Utility crews have warned residents of possible power outages and downed wires as heavy, wet snow moves into the area overnight.
Police in Massachusetts have warned people to stay off the roads as multiple collisions have already been reported.
Maine officials warned that the storm was expected to cause difficult travel conditions, power outages and minor coastal flooding.
“Travel is discouraged during this storm due to unfavorable driving conditions,” Pete Rogers, director of the Maine Emergency Management Agency, said in a statement.
Heavy rain and thunderstorms are also expected to affect the Mid-Atlantic states and Florida.
Forecasters said heavy, wet snow would persist in Wisconsin and Upper Michigan through Thursday.
As storms move northeast, cleanup continues in other parts of the country. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said surveyors were surveying damage across the state.
“We will get through this and we will get through this together,” he told Kentuckians during a storm update that aired on social media. “Many are suffering right now and we want them to know that we will be there for them.”
Perry Snowden, a Kentucky resident cleaning up after the horrific winds, showed ABC World News how his parents’ house was hit by a neighbor’s roof.
‘Correct, yes. “The top of the roof came in and exploded and destroyed the dining room and the upstairs bedroom,” Snowden said.
Moderate flooding was forecast on the Ohio River, which was expected to peak nearly 6 feet (1.8 meters) above flood stage on Thursday in Wheeling, West Virginia.
A gaping hole is seen in the roof of a home after strong tornadoes hit parts of southern Indiana and Louisville on Wednesday.
A woman is rescued in Franklin Township, Pennsylvania, by emergency crews after her home flooded.
Utility crews have warned residents of possible power outages and downed wires as heavy, wet snow moves into the area overnight.
In Wellfleet, Massachusetts, video showed how, as of Wednesday afternoon, huge waves were already developing as the storm moved.
In Rockdale County, Georgia, crews planned to survey damage to determine if a tornado touched down in the area during the overnight hours, according to the weather service.
‘My living room has been crossed by a tree’ Carolyn Gillman told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Gillman said he rode out the storm in his bathroom and then heard the rain coming into his home east of Atlanta.
An EF2 tornado hit Conyers, Georgia, early Wednesday morning, producing winds around 115 mph.