At least five have died following a state of emergency is called in the US as a bomb cyclone brings temperatures down to as low as -50C in parts of the country. The cold snap has placed more than 135 million people under weekend weather alerts as the bomb cyclone – a term which describes a rapidly intensifying storm – causes temperatures capable of causing frostbite within moments. The National Weather Service (NWS) said temperatures of -50F (-45C) and -70F were possible by the end of this week in some parts of the country as millions are left without power.
At least five people have died as a result of the raging storms – three of which on roads in Kentucky, as announced by Governor Andy Beshear. Kentucky National Guard is delivering blankets to the Kentucky state police to distribute to stranded drivers on Interstate 71.
A fourth driver died after crashing into a tractor-trailer in Wisconsin, with officials confirming he had failed to “sufficiently slow down” and that the crash was partly the result of the weather. A homeless man in Houston has also died after falling into a fire pit while trying to keep warm.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has declared a state of emergency, describing the cyclone as a “life threatening event”.
Meanwhile, more than 3,500 flights within, into or out of the United States were cancelled as of Friday morning. Another 2,421 were delayed, according to FlightAware.com.
Over 1.4 million homes and businesses in the US have been left without power.
“This is not like a snow day, when you were a kid, this is serious stuff,” President Joe Biden said in a White House briefing on Thursday.
The effects of the storm are already being felt from Colorado to Wyoming, and north in Minnesota.
READ MORE: US weather: Biden issues ‘serious’ warning as mercury plunges to -39C in ‘bomb cyclone’
In just 12 hours, Wyoming Highway Patrol received 787 calls for help and recorded 104 crashes.
In South Dakota, Rosebud Sioux Tribe emergency manager Robert Oliver said workers were trying to clear roads which had about 10 feet (3m) of snow in some sections.
Thousands of power outages have been reported from across the country’s coast due to the widespread high winds knocking down trees and limbs, causing damage to power lines and other electrical equipment.
Blizzard warnings are in effect for more than 11 million people in the northern Plains, Upper Midwest and Great Lakes, including Bismarck in North Dakota, Sioux Falls in South Dakota, Rochester in Minnesota, Des Moines in Iowa, South Bend in Indiana, Grand Rapids in Michigan and Buffalo in New York.
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Lt. Candice Breshears, of the Kansas Highway Patrol, said on Thursday that three people were killed in crashes.
In one incident, a person died in Kansas City after their car overturned into an icy creek, police said.
A 77-year-old man also died on Thursday morning after a wreck with two other vehicles in Lincoln County, Oklahoma Highway Patrol said, however the cause of the collision is still under investigation.
