Home Life Style Florida hit by ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ snowstorm as brutal freeze claims four lives

Florida hit by ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ snowstorm as brutal freeze claims four lives

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Florida hit by 'once-in-a-lifetime' snowstorm as brutal freeze claims four lives

A historic snowstorm is hitting the southern United States, covering Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Florida in snow, and causing chaos on roads, airports and communities. This rare meteorological phenomenon has already claimed at least four lives, authorities report.

In Texas, multiple deaths were reported after a major highway accident in Zavala County. Louisiana State Police responded to more than 50 crashes Tuesday and urged residents to stay off the roads. The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway Bridge near New Orleans was also closed due to hazardous conditions.

Meanwhile, Alabama officials declared roads in three counties impassable, while airports across the South, including Houston and Tallahassee, canceled more than 2,100 flights nationwide. The blizzard has caused unprecedented snowfall in areas not accustomed to such conditions, he told FOX 32 Chicago.

New Orleans saw up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) of snow in some places, breaking its previous record of 2.7 inches set in 1963. The National Weather Service (NWS) called the snowfall “historic,” adding in a post on the social media: “Wow, what a snowy day!

The storm has also prompted the issuance of the first blizzard warnings in parts of Texas and Louisiana. In Houston, up to 4 inches (10 centimeters) of snow fell, and Texas transportation officials deployed more than 20 snow plows across 12,000 lane miles.

People walk in the French Quarter as snow falls in New Orleans (Image: AP)

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced the mobilization of snow plows in his state as snow covered Gulf Shores, Alabama, and Pensacola Beach, Florida. Tragically, two deaths due to cold exposure were reported in Austin, Texas, and another death related to hypothermia occurred in Georgia.

Wind chills have reduced temperatures to single digits in many areas, compounding the danger. Savannah Mayor Van Johnson urged residents to stay home, saying, “We don’t get cold or ice well. If you don’t have to go out, don’t do it. Stay home.”

School closures spread across the region, from New Orleans to Houston to Savannah, and several coastal communities in North and South Carolina also canceled classes. Residents, however, found ways to enjoy the rare snowfall, participating in snowball fights on Gulf Coast beaches, sledding with household items and even playing hockey in New Orleans.

Meanwhile, the Northeast is also bracing for significant snowfall, with up to 2 feet expected near Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. States of emergency have been declared in more than a dozen New York counties. This extraordinary storm highlights the stark contrast between the South’s usual warm weather and rare, extreme cold and snow, leaving communities grappling with challenges and fleeting moments of joy.


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