WASHINGTON D.C., Jan. 23, 2016 (UPI) — As many as nine people are dead and thousands of motorists are stranded as a powerful snowstorm creeps up the eastern seaboard, dumping one to two feet of snow and packing 60-mph winds.
The storm is expected to reach its peak impact on Saturday evening with blizzard warnings in effect for several major cities including Washington D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York City.
Government officials in the affected areas have urged residents to stay inside, as D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser noted that the storm is predicted to be one of the worst in almost a century.
“We’ve had a forecast we haven’t seen in 90 years,” Bowser said on Friday. “It has life and death implications.”
Fatalities
As many as nine deaths have already been reported across the affected states with automobile accidents as the major cause. Virginia police responded to 989 traffic crashes and 793 disabled vehicles on Friday according to WUSA. An additional 1,274 traffic collisions were reported in North Carolina.
Power Outages
Possible snowfall of a foot or more has been predicted for areas spanning Virginia to New York, and strong winds could potentially cause power outages and coastal flooding along the Atlantic coast.
As of 8 a.m. Saturday, Duke Energy reported approximately 117,000 outages in North Carolina. Dominion Virginia Power reported up to 8,000 customers without power.
Travel
More than 1,000 flights have been canceled as a result of the storm, FlightAware.com reported. Baltimore/Washington International Airport ceased operations completely.
The storm caused a 35-mile traffic jam on Southbound I-75 in Kentucky, leaving drivers stranded for more than 17 hours. Kentucky state police arrived on the scene to deliver food, water and other supplies to stranded drivers and shelters were set up in the area for travelers. One woman was trapped in her car with her two children and her elderly parents for more than 10 hours.
House Speaker Paul Ryan‘s live feed from his office is providing some insight into the falling snow.
