Jan. 21 (UPI) — At least two people are reported dead in Houston as a winter storm system disrupted much of the Gulf Coast and other parts of the nation on Tuesday, causing billions in economic losses.
A woman lost control of her car and died when it crashed into an 18-wheeler on Monday night in Harris County, Texas, the Houston Chronicle reported.
Another person was found dead in a parking lot near Katy, Texas, on Tuesday and might have been homeless.
First responders in Harris County have responded to more than 160 accidents caused by slippery road conditions.
Snowfall totals ranging from 3 inches to 6 inches from Texas to Florida along the Gulf Coast is disrupting the lives of those who rarely see snowfall in areas ill-prepared to handle it.
“This has been the worst winter storm to hit the Gulf Coast in decades. Travel was essentially shut down along several stretches of the I-10 corridor between Houston and New Orleans that are critical for commerce,” AccuWeather chief meteorologist Jonathan Porter said in a news release sent to UPI.
“Communities in Louisiana known for hurricanes and scorching summer heat faced dangerous blizzard conditions,” Porter said. “Businesses have been forced to shut down. Supply chain and shipping logistics have been severely disrupted.
“With the cold remaining in place, the impacts and interruptions from this winter storm will be felt for days to come.”
AccuWeather estimates between $14 billion and $17 billion in damage and economic losses due to travel delays and other impacts from the storm system.
Mobile, Ala., recorded at least 5 inches of snowfall, which breaks that city’s 143-year-old record, CNN reported.
Molino, Fla., posted a record 5.5 inches of snowfall, and cities from Houston to Lake Charles, La., are experiencing unseasonable cold and snowfall amounts that have triggered a blizzard warning for eastern Texas and parts of southern Louisiana.
The snowy conditions are disrupting travel on major highways and at local airports that could cause road closures and flight cancellations for several days, according to the National Weather Service.
Many airports in the South and especially the Gulf Coast region were closed and states of emergency have been declared in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi.
Among airports closed due to wintry conditions in the South on Tuesday are George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston; Jack Brooks Regional Airport in Jefferson County, Texas; Lake Charles Regional Airport, Alexandria International Airport, Acadiana Regional Airport and Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport in Louisiana; and Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport in Mississippi.
The NWS says an Arctic air mass over the eastern two-thirds of the United States has caused temperatures to drop to between 25 and 30 degrees below normal in the Mid-Atlantic and the Central Gulf Coast.
The Arctic air mass will caused sub-freezing temperatures during the overnight hours along the Gulf Coast and throughout the Southeast.
Windy conditions in the Dakotas and parts of the Upper Midwest will cause dangerous wind chills of between 30 and 50 degrees below zero during the overnight hours.
The cold weather is expected to migrate eastward, where people in New York City, Washington, D.C., and other areas already are dealing with unseasonably cold temperatures.
