NEW YORK/MAPLEWOOD, NJ (Reuters) – A massive, wind-whipped blizzard slammed into the US Northeast yesterday, creating havoc for more than 60 million people and forcing New York City to shut down on a scale not seen since Superstorm Sandy devastated the region in 2012.
The potentially historic storm which could affect 20 per cent of the US population, caused several states up and down the East Coast to declare emergencies, forced the cancellation of thousands of flights, closed major mass transit hubs and schools. Officials warned that the storm could dump as much as 3 feet (90 cm) of snow on the region.
States of emergency were declared in at least six states – New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Hampshire – as people were urged to stay home with transit systems, including the New York City subway, suspending services and roadways closed amid white-out conditions.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a travel ban for all but emergency vehicles on every road in 13 counties in southern New York state, including New York City, suburban Westchester and Long Island, with the threat of a $300 fine for violators. His peers in Connecticut and Massachusetts imposed similar bans on driving.
“If you are in your car and you are on any road, town, village, city, it doesn’t matter, after 11 o’clock, you will technically be committing a crime,” Cuomo said. “It could be a matter of life and death so caution is required.” The storm also poses the latest challenge to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has been under fire in recent weeks from police who criticized his support of public protests about white police violence against black men. In the last major storm de Blasio was vilified for keeping schools open.
The National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning from New Jersey to Maine, with conditions worsening overnight and wind gusting to over 50 mph (80 kph) in the New York City area. Coastal flood warnings were issued, with tides in the New York metro area expected to be as much 3 feet higher than normal early this morning.
