US winter storm: ‘Historic’ weather event hits US as temperatures plunge as low as -45C

Published

2 years ago

December 23, 2022

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Tens of millions of Americans endured bone-chilling temperatures, blizzard conditions, power outages and cancelled Christmas plans as an extreme winter storm gripped much of the country.

More than 200 million people – about 60% of the US population – were under some form of winter weather advisory or warning on Friday, the National Weather Service said, calling it a “historic winter storm”.

Temperatures across central states have plunged, with the mercury dipping to -50F (-45.6C) in Montana.

Places like Des Moines, Iowa, will feel like -37F (-38C) making it possible to suffer frostbite in less than five minutes, according to the National Weather Service.

More than 1.4 million homes and businesses were without power on Friday morning and holiday travel plans were upended as more than 3,100 flights in and out of US airports were cancelled on the day before Christmas Eve.

The storm has now intensified into a bomb cyclone according to the National Weather Service, which says the atmospheric pressure of the storm has dropped rapidly enough over the past 24 hours to classify the system that way.

The huge storm stretched from border to border. In Canada, British Columbia reached a low of -62.7F (-52.6C). And in Mexico, migrants waited near the US border in unusually cold temperatures for a court decision on lifting asylum restrictions.

Florida residents have been warned to look out for iguanas falling from trees as sub-zero temperatures can immobilise the cold-blooded creatures, causing them to lose their grip and fall to the ground.

More than 181 million people are under wind chill alerts and 11 million are affected by blizzard warnings. Forecasters said temperatures in some areas have dropped more than 30 degrees in a matter of minutes.

By the time the weather system has moved through, an estimated 192 million people across 46 states will have experienced wind chills below zero.

Hundreds of drivers stranded

In South Dakota, more than 100 drivers became stranded when the arctic blast hit the state with sub-zero temperatures.

As authorities worked to rescue those stranded, the local sheriff’s office told drivers to stay in their vehicles and call 911.

Rosebud Sioux Tribe emergency manager Robert Oliver said tribal authorities have been working to clear roads to deliver propane and firewood to homes, but face a relentless wind that has created drifts over 10 feet in some places. He said five have died in recent storms, including a blizzard from last week.

In Minnesota, police responded to nearly 50 vehicle crashes between Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

Wet roadways also caused 118 vehicle spinouts and a crash involving a semi-truck, the State Patrol said.

In South Dakota, the winter storm system left some motorists stranded on city streets, according to the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. Workers removed people from their cars throughout the night. A photo from the agency showed people sleeping on makeshift beds on the floor of a building.

‘This is not like a snow day when you were a kid’

President Joe Biden has warned Americans to take the storm seriously.

“This is not like a snow day when you were a kid,” he said after a briefing from federal officials.

“This is serious stuff.”

High demand at homeless shelters

In Portland, Oregon, officials opened four emergency shelters. In the city’s downtown, Steven Venus tried to get on a light-rail train to get out of the cold after huddling on the sidewalk overnight in below-zero temperatures.

“My toes were freezing off,” he said, a sleeping bag wrapped around his head, as he paused near a flimsy tent where another homeless person was taking shelter.

Courtney Dodds, a spokeswoman for the Union Gospel Mission, said teams from her organisation had been going out to try to persuade people to seek shelter.

“It can be really easy for people to doze off and fall asleep and wind up losing their lives because of the cold weather,” she said.

US

LA fires: Paris Hilton and Billy Crystal’s homes burn down as more celebrities evacuated

Published

54 mins ago

January 9, 2025

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LA fires: Paris Hilton and Billy Crystal's homes burn down as more celebrities evacuated

Hollywood celebrities are among thousands of people who have been evacuated in Los Angeles, some fleeing homes now burned to the ground.

Paris Hilton and actor Billy Crystal have both lost their houses as fires rip through parts of California, including exclusive suburbs home to film stars and billionaires.

Oscar-winning songwriter Diane Warren, talk show host Ricki Lake, actor Cary Elwes, and reality stars Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag have also confirmed their homes have been destroyed.

US media is reporting that Eugene Levy, and Adam Brody and Leighton Meester, have lost their homes. The stars are yet to confirm this.

Sky News’ US correspondent Martha Kelner reported that Tom Hanks, Ben Affleck and Reese Witherspoon were among those evacuated.

Follow latest: At least five killed as flames spread

The blaze in Pacific Palisades, a hillside area between Santa Monica and Malibu dotted with celebrity homes, is one of at least five raging in California.

Thousands of firefighters are trying to contain the flames, with a new fire breaking out overnight in the Hollywood Hills, threatening a host of tourist sites including the Walk Of Fame.

‘The loss is overwhelming’

Hilton said she was “heartbroken beyond words” to see her Malibu home, where she has brought up her young children Phoenix and London, “burn to the ground on live TV”.

In a post on social media, she said: “This home was where we built so many precious memories. It’s where Phoenix took his first steps and where we dreamed of building a lifetime of memories with London.

“While the loss is overwhelming, I’m holding onto gratitude that my family and pets are safe.”

In a joint statement, US actor Crystal, known for films including When Harry Met Sally and Analyze This, and his wife Janice confirmed their home of 46 years was gone.

“Words cannot describe the enormity of the devastation we are witnessing and experiencing,” the couple said.

They added: “We raised our children and grandchildren here. Every inch of our house was filled with love. Beautiful memories that can’t be taken away.”

The Hills stars Pratt and Montag documented the escalation of the fire at their home on Snapchat, with Pratt saying: “I’m watching our house burn down on the security cameras.”

His sister, Stephanie, who also starred in The Hills, as well as Made In Chelsea, told Sky News yesterday that she did not know if her own home was okay.

“I talked to my neighbour last night and she told me that [Palisades Charter High School] had burnt down, and that’s directly behind me, and so had Gelson’s Supermarket which is adjacent,” she said.

“I just can’t reach anyone to see if my house is okay. I just Googled it and it said that it’s destroyed and terrible… I don’t know if my house is there.”

Jamie Lee Curtis confirmed her home was safe but said “our beloved neighbourhood is gone” as she shared videos of the blaze on her Instagram.

Writer and actor Steve Guttenberg told Sky News he witnessed panic attacks and despair as he tried to help residents as the flames closed in.

The Police Academy star said: “There were mothers trying to find their kids.

“There were panic attacks. It was terrible. And that’s when the fires just lit up.”

Other celebrities who have fled their properties include the award-winning actor James Woods, who said he had been safely evacuated from his home in Pacific Palisades.

But he added in a post on X: “I do not know at this moment if our home is still standing.”

Actor Mark Hamill, best known for playing Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars films, also posted on social media on Wednesday saying he evacuated his home in Malibu and his family were “fleeing for our lives”.

This Is Us actress Mandy Moore was also forced to leave her home with her children and pets, saying on Instagram they had found temporary refuge with friends.

The actress said: “Trying to shield the kids from the immense sadness and worry I feel.

“Praying for everyone in our beautiful city. So gutted for the destruction and loss. Don’t know if our place made it.”

An awards ceremony planned for this weekend has been pushed back by two weeks, while the Oscar nominations next week have also been postponed.

According to Velvet Ropes, which maps celebrity properties, Matt Damon, Steven Spielberg, Hilary Swank and Sally Field all have homes close to where fires are raging.

Dr Dre, Tyra Banks, Martin Short, Anna Faris, Milo Ventimiglia, Linda Cardellini, Mary McDonnell, Adam Sandler, Miles Teller, and Jennifer Love Hewitt are also said to have houses in affected areas.

In neighbouring Malibu, which was also affected by fires in December, stars including Beyonce and Jay-Z, Kim Kardashian, Lady Gaga and Billie Eilish are said to be among the celebrity residents.

The Palisades blaze has already burnt through nearly 16,000 acres of land, while the Eaton fire, covering over 10,000 acres, has caused the death of five people.

Three other fires, the Hurst fire, Lidia fire and Sunset fire, are all raging as emergency services battle to bring them under control.

US

All five living US presidents pictured together at funeral of Jimmy Carter

Published

4 hours ago

January 9, 2025

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All five living US presidents pictured together at funeral of Jimmy Carter

All five of the living US presidents have been pictured together at the funeral of Jimmy Carter.

The 39th US president died at the age of 100 on 29 December, in his hometown of Plains, Georgia.

President Joe Biden gave a eulogy to his fellow Democrat at the state funeral at the Washington National Cathedral.

He appeared alongside president-elect Donald Trump and other former presidents Barack Obama, George W Bush and Bill Clinton and their respective spouses.

Vice president Kamala Harris, who lost the 2024 election to Mr Trump, was also seated with the group alongside her husband.

It’s the first time the Democrat nominee has been seen with the president-elect since the US election, and after she certified Mr Trump’s election win on Monday.

Before the service, Mr Trump was also seen shaking hands with former vice president Mike Pence – the first time the pair have been seen in public together since leaving the White House in 2021.

Prior to that, Mr Pence had refused to back Mr Trump’s claim he had won the 2020 election.

Mr Obama and Mr Trump were also seen talking before the service began.

During his eulogy, Mr Biden said Mr Carter taught him the importance of treating “everyone with dignity and respect.”

“To young people, to anyone in search of meaning and purpose, study the power of Jimmy Carter’s example,” the president said. “Character, faith, love – a true patriot.”

Joshua Carter, the former president’s grandson, also said at the service: “He built houses for people who needed homes.

“He eliminated diseases in forgotten places. He waged peace anywhere in the world, wherever he saw a chance. He loved people.”

From 4 January, Mr Carter’s body was carried by a motorcade through Plains, before heading to the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta.

The former president’s remains were then flown to Maryland and transferred in a ceremony to a hearse, which was carried in a motorcade to the US Navy Memorial in Washington to honour Mr Carter’s service as a lieutenant in the Navy.

He has since been lying in state at the Capitol Building, where the public could pay respects from Tuesday evening through to Thursday morning

Mr Carter’s body will now be returned to his hometown in Georgia for a second service and burial.

There, a private ceremony will be held at Maranatha Baptist Church before another procession through Plains, where supporters are being encouraged to line the streets for the motorcade.

Mr Carter will then be buried on his property next to his late wife, Rosalynn, who died in 2023.