Severe Snowstorm Paralyzes Northeast US, Over 10,000 Flights Cancelled

America: A massive blizzard hit the northeastern part of America on Monday, covering New York, Boston and New Jersey in a blanket of snow. Roads became dangerous, people were confined to their homes, travel stopped, airports closed, schools and colleges closed. Normal life came to a complete halt, lakhs of people could not leave their homes.

How much snow fell?

Central Park in New York City received about 19–20 inches (about 50 cm) of snow – one of the city's top 10 heaviest snowfalls. Rainfall reached 29–31 inches in some areas of Long Island, 27–30 inches in New Jersey, and 3 feet (36 inches) in Rhode Island. 15-17 inches in Boston, more than 1 foot in Philadelphia. 2-3 feet of snow accumulated at many places, which is considered to be the most dangerous storm since 1996. Winds gusted to 35-80 mph, visibility zero, blizzard conditions complete.

Blizzard in Brooklyn N.Y

- Uliana Sternat pic.twitter.com/OITQxokKcB

What is the condition of flights and travel?

More than 10,000 flights were canceled from Saturday to Tuesday – more than 5,000 on Monday alone. Big airports like JFK, LaGuardia, Newark, Boston Logan are most affected. Amtrak trains, buses, NJ Transit are all closed. Travel on the I-95 highway is “almost impossible” – accidents, stranded vehicles, and hours of traffic jams are happening. Non-essential travel remains banned in New York City, New Jersey and Massachusetts. "We urge every New Yorker to stay home," Mayor Zohran Mamdani said. Snow day declared in schools. There are no remote classes.

Is there any power outage or emergency situation?

More than 5-7 lakh homes and offices across the East Coast lost power. Most are in Massachusetts (about 3 lakh), with New Jersey, Delaware, Rhode Island also badly affected. Utility teams are cleaning up in high winds and snow. New York Governor Kathy Hochul called out the National Guard to help on Long Island and the Hudson Valley. State of Emergency in Massachusetts, government employees asked to stay home. The United Nations headquarters also remained closed.

What will happen next?

The storm is now weakening, but the cleanup work is a big challenge. Schools in many places may remain closed up to Tuesday. It is not known when the trains and buses will become fully operational. People are worried about electricity, heat and food. This storm is one of the worst in the last 30 years.