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winter storm

  • A cold snap blanketing the Deep South has upended water systems as local officials struggle to repair widespread leaks and broken pipes. Breakdowns in infrastructure arose in rapid succession after days of freezing temperatures in areas where extended periods of frigid weather is abnormal. Officials have encouraged people across the South to drip faucets during the prolonged cold snap because water moving through pipes is less likely to freeze. Localities across the region have issued boil water advisories and are distributing bottled water for basic needs. The water woes are acute in places with already troubled water systems
  • Days of freezing temperatures in Deep South areas that usually freeze for only hours are threatening dozens of water systems as burst pipes leak millions of gallons of water. Dozens of water systems had either boil advisories in place because of low pressure or warned of bigger catastrophes if leaks from broken pipes weren't found and water shut off. In Jackson, Mississippi, residents were required over Christmas to boil water. Charleston, South Carolina, normally puts out 50 million gallons of water on a winter day, but over the holiday weekend the output was about 100 million gallons as thousands of homes and business had undetected broken pipes.
  • The Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States are preparing for a powerful winter storm that's expected to produce blizzard conditions. Heavy snow and strong winds are forecast to begin in parts of the Carolinas and Appalachia on Friday evening. The National Weather Service says the system will intensify as a nor'easter off the East Coast and bring similar conditions farther north on Saturday. The weather service says localized snowfall totals of up to 20 inches are possible.
  • A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for counties in the Northern midlands around and between the I-77 and I-95 corridors. In these areas, snow fall will make travel difficult on Friday night. One to two inch accumulations are likely, with locally higher amounts possible.
  • A layer of ice and a blanket of snow has covered coastal areas stretching from South Carolina to Virginia. The winter weather system that entered the region on Friday brought colder temperatures and precipitation not often seen in the region. The storm had mostly blown off the Atlantic Coast by 7 a.m. Saturday. Meteorologists said it left as much as six inches of snow in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. There was up to a half inch of ice in parts of coastal North Carolina that are further south. The ice accumulation also stretched along much of the South Carolina coast in smaller amounts. Charleston got less than a 10th of an inch of ice.
  • Salt spreader trucks crisscrossed coastal roads as courthouses and schools closed Friday to prepare for a snow and ice storm expected to snarl parts of the Carolinas and Virginia unaccustomed to winter precipitation. Authorities along a stretch of the North and South Carolina coast warned that ice accumulation could cause major power outages, while areas northeast of there stretching into Virginia could see several inches of snow.
  • Several schools have canceled classes in coastal areas of the Carolinas and Virginia and authorities are urging drivers to stay off potentially icy roads amid the latest round of winter storms. The governors of North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia each declared states of emergency ahead of the storms forecast to sweep the region into Saturday. The National Weather Service says the latest winter blast could ice over a large swath of eastern North Carolina and the northeastern corner of South Carolina, while dumping snow around Norfolk, Virginia.
  • The South Carolina Emergency Management Division asks residents to prepare themselves and their homes for possible winter weather. The National Weather Service predicts the possibility of snow, freezing rain and ice accumulations in much of the state lasting into Satur
  • The South Carolina House and Senate sessions scheduled for Tuesday have been cancelled because of slick road conditions in parts of the state. Poor conditions remained in part of South Carolina's Upstate region and elsewhere after a winter storm dumped several inches of snow on some areas and ice elsewhere. Most committee meetings were also postponed, including a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting on redistricting moved to Wednesday.
  • A dangerous winter storm combining high winds and ice is blasting through parts of the U.S. Southeast. The storm knocked out power Sunday to tens of thousands of customers, felled trees and coated roads with treacherous ice. Highway patrols reported hundreds of vehicle accidents. In Florida, a tornado ripped through a trailer park. Three minor injuries were reported. Significant icing caused problems in North Carolina, while Virginia State Police said traffic stood still for hours on Interstate 81 in Roanoke County due to an accident.