Winter Storm Update: 13 Dead as Massive Storms Hit US

A massive winter storm dropped heavy snow across most of the northern tier and slammed the South with violent thunderstorms and tornadoes that left around 500,000 Americans from Kentucky to Michigan without power Sunday.

AccuWeather said at least 13 people had died due to the winter storm, which had initially dumped several feet of snow on the mountains of California before moving east, according to USA Today.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear announced five fatalities in Kentucky when winds of over 70 mph brought down trees, and power lines, and damaged homes and other buildings. After hundreds of thousands of Kentuckians lost power during Friday's high-speed wind storm, power crews in Louisville and around the state worked tirelessly on Sunday to restore service.

Tornadoes and strong thunderstorms were created by the weather system in the South. According to poweroutage.us, more than 173,500 buildings in Kentucky did not have electricity on Sunday evening.

In Michigan, about 71,400 people lacked access to electricity, while in Tennessee, around 30,000 people did not.

Teenage Hikers Rescued

A relative claims that two teenagers who got lost in the mountains of southern California were found safe and sound after being there for many days amid the winter storm.

A helicopter was sent out from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office to look for the two missing teenage hikers. The storm dumped a foot of snow on the mountains east of Los Angeles, Cesar Ramirez said, stranding his son, 17, and his buddy, also 17, who had planned a 10-day expedition.

Sgt. John Scalise said the youngsters were lucky to be alive after spending three nights huddled together for warmth amid the extreme weather. He claimed that while they were prepared for the hike itself, they weren't for the tremendous amounts of snow they encountered.

This past week, high winds in Kentucky reached speeds of up to 75 miles per hour, inflicting extensive damage across the state. Most of the destruction, according to Beshear, was to trees and electrical lines.

Beshear warned Saturday that it may take days to restore electricity, and as of Sunday, over 216,000 residents were still without it. Similarly, as of Sunday, approximately 110,00 people in Michigan were still without electricity.

Winter Storm Warning In Effect; States of Emergency Raised

A winter storm warning is in effect until Monday morning, according to the Sacramento National Weather Service. This system follows a slew of previous winter storms, the most recent of which dumped up to 10 feet (3 meters) of snow on the state just last week, according to CBS News.

On Sunday morning, Heavenly Mountain Resort announced it would be closing because of the hazardous weather. It was possible to visit Palisades Tahoe and other local resorts that were functioning normally.

Some residents of Southern California may be stuck in their homes for several more days as the snowfall proved to be too much for most plows to handle, while search crews have rescued several persons stuck in mountain villages.

One resident posted a video on Twitter, seeking for assistance from authorities.

To the east of Los Angeles, in the San Bernardino Mountains, authorities kept busy clearing roads and distributing food, water, and blankets, while the Red Cross set up a shelter in a high school.

The San Diego branch of the meteorological service predicted a remote probability of rain or snow showers in Southern California on Sunday.

Thirteen counties have been declared under states of emergency by California Governor Gavin Newsom, NBC Bay Area reported.

Tags

Winter storm, United States, Weather, National weather service, California, Kentucky