US East Coast battles floods while Pacific Northwest braces for blizzard

The US East Coast finds itself grappling with the aftermath of a powerful winter storm, unleashing floods, power outages, and grounded flights. 

Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the country, the Pacific Northwest is bracing for another bout of severe weather, anticipating blizzard-like conditions. The nation is caught in a dual winter onslaught, with the East Coast battling rising waters while the Northwest prepares for heavy snowfall.

Over 50 million residents from eastern Ohio to the Northeast are currently under high wind and flooding advisories, as reported by the National Weather Service (NWS). New England coastal towns, including Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, are submerged in floodwaters, prompting emergency evacuations. 

Video footage circulating on social media captures the extent of the inundation, with streets, homes, and businesses submerged, forcing officials to declare a state of emergency.

Major cities like New York, Philadelphia, and Boston are not spared, as potentially damaging gusts exceeding 50 miles per hour threaten to topple trees and powerlines during the afternoon and evening hours, warns the NWS. 

The consequences of the storm are evident, with 300,000 homes and businesses from North Carolina to Maine plunged into darkness, according to Poweroutage.us. The chaos extends to the skies, with over 1,200 flights delayed or canceled, including 270 in and out of Chicago, according to Flightaware.com.

Tragically, the storm has already claimed at least three lives in Alabama, North Carolina, and Georgia, where high winds and tornadoes wreaked havoc in the South. Two additional fatalities occurred in Wisconsin and Michigan, where heavy snowfall created treacherous driving conditions.

While the East Coast battles floods and power outages, the Pacific Northwest braces itself for a separate winter storm. Communities in higher elevations are anticipating blizzard-like conditions, adding to the challenges faced by residents and authorities. 

The nation remains on alert as these twin winter storms continue to unfold, underscoring the unpredictable and formidable nature of winter weather across the United States.