In a statement issued Thursday morning, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe warned that people in the state should "take the threat of this storm seriously" and asked residents to prepare for travel disruptions and power outages.
Speaking at a press conference in the US capital city, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser also declared a state of emergency ahead of an expected snow storm and ordered all public schools closed on Friday.
On Wednesday, the National Weather Service issued blizzard and storm watches for areas in Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia, West Virginia and Arkansas. According to the watches, the storm and possible blizzard conditions are expected Friday night through Saturday night.
Meanwhile, the weather service also issued a blizzard watch for New York's Long Island starting Saturday morning.
Xinhua - globaltimes.cn
22/1/16
The forecast for a historic blizzard has been there for days, looming over the nation’s capital like the UFO from “Independence Day.”...
ReplyDeleteProjected snowfall totals have ticked steadily upward, to the point where the National Weather Service — known for its conservative predictions — says more than 2 feet of snow could land on Washington.
Residents and elected officials throughout the Eastern United States are heeding the warning.
States of emergency have been declared in five states and the District of Columbia. Schools and government offices are being closed pre-emptively. Thousands of flights have been canceled. Food and supplies are disappearing from grocery and hardware stores. College basketball games and concerts will have to wait.
“It’s going to be dangerous out there,” said Tonya Woods, 42, a Washington Metro station manager who lives in suburban Clinton, Maryland. “I say they should shut things down.”...AP...alarabiya.ne