'Blizzard Of The Century' In USA Kills, Disrupts Life
By A Draft Correspondent
The winter storm ravaging eastern United States has killed more than 60 people, across nine states, before 2022 ends and is said to be "one of the deadliest in the country in the past three decades."
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| An aerial view of New York City during the winter storm |
Ironically, just a few days of life in the US produces more emissions than people in many low-income countries produce in the entire year. The CO2 emissions of the 'average US citizen' are estimated to be over 100 times that of the 'average Ugandan'.
Snowstorm involving 50 vehicles, Ohio Turnpike through Sandusky County, USA.
— NDNews Weather (@NDNews_Weather) December 24, 2022
📅 December 24#snow #snowstorm #usa #Ohio #Sandusky #blizzard #news #weatherpic.twitter.com/0TTCiq5Lul
If these emissions are spread evenly throughout the year, this means that on the fourth of January this year, the average American had already emitted more CO2 than the average Ugandan will over the whole year, and — in the first week of the year — surpassed annual emissions for 23 low-income countries.
Meanwhile, in New York, emergency crew are "scrambling to rescue marooned residents" from what authorities called the “blizzard of the century.”
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| Blizzard conditions disrupted traffic across (In pic, Times Square in New York City) |
Authorities have described "ferocious conditions with hours-long whiteouts, bodies being discovered in vehicles and under snow banks," and emergency personnel are going “car to car” searching for more motorists, alive or dead.
In neighbouring New Jersey, bitter cold during Christmas weekend led to cars getting stuck in frozen floodwaters that came in after the winter storm.
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| A car stuck in frozen floodwaters in New Jersey |
Several travelers and tourists were left stranded and had to suspend their travel plans owing to blizzard conditions and heavy winds that led to flight cancellations and closure of some of the nation's busiest road transport routes.
On Christmas morning, more than 2,00,000 people across several Eastern states woke up to freezing conditions and without power. New York experienced more than 38,000 power outages and New Jersey over 2,800. Power providers urged citizens to reduce power usage to minimise rolling blackouts till normalcy is restored.
Climate Change is real...and there can't be louder lessons for the US than this. There must be a real walk associated with the loud talk on the issue. No?
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden offered "the full force of the federal government" to support New York state, and said he and First Lady Jill Biden were praying for those who lost loved ones in the storm, according to a White House statement.
