Cincinnati Weather: Storms leave 90,000 with no power

Click or tap here for the latest updates: See where power outages stand after major storm hits

Update, 5:40 a.m.: Duke Energy continues to report more than 94,000 customers without power.

The company tallies 1,723 active outages in Greater Cincinnati after severe storms passed through late Monday afternoon.

More than 90,000 of those customers without electricity were in Ohio, with the remaining powerless customers in Northern Kentucky.

Update, 9:40 p.m.: Duke Energy continues to report power outages with 155,854 customers still without power.

The company says there are 1,653 active outages in Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky. At one point following severe storms that swept through the area, there were more than 165,000 people without power.

Ohio has 151,977 customers without power. In Butler County, there are 434 outages and 46,610 customers without power. Clermont County has 200 outages and 16,222 customers without power. Hamilton County has 717 outages affecting 56,799 customers. Warren County has 186 outages and 30,535 customers without power.

In Kentucky, there were 3,874 customers without power. Kenton County has 37 outages leaving 2,917 customers without power. Campbell County has 30 outages and 949 customers without power.

The outage map says repairs and damage assessments are underway, and offered no estimated time for service restoration.

A statement from Duke on its online outage map said "The storms that ripped through the greater Cincinnati area earlier this evening took down numerous trees, powerlines and poles.

"Due to the widespread and severe nature of damage caused by the squall, we will need to adjust many of our initial estimated times of restoration in the areas hardest hit. Crews will be working through the night to make repairs and further assess damage.

"We will provide restoration updates as the work progresses. Thank you for your patience."

Update, 9:10 p.m.: Duke Energy continues to report power outages with more than 162,000 customers without power.

The power company reports on its outage map there are 1,590 active power outages with 162,997customers without power in Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky.

Ohio has 153,317 customers without power. In Butler County, there were 193 outages and 48,050 customers were without power. Clermont County has 193 outages and 16,065 customers without power. Hamilton County has 679 outages affecting 55,517 customers. Warren County has 165 outages and 31,790 customers without power.

In Kentucky, there were 9,680 customers without power. Kenton County has 36 outages leaving 2,999 customers without power. Campbell County has 36 outages and 6,673 customers without power.

The outage map says repairs and damage assessments are underway, and offered no estimated time for service restoration.

A statement from Duke on its online outage map said "The storms that ripped through the greater Cincinnati area earlier this evening took down numerous trees, powerlines and poles.

"Due to the widespread and severe nature of damage caused by the squall, we will need to adjust many of our initial estimated times of restoration in the areas hardest hit. Crews will be working through the night to make repairs and further assess damage.

"We will provide restoration updates as the work progresses. Thank you for your patience."

Update, 7:20 p.m.: Duke Energy continues to report power outages with more than 165,000 customers without power.

The power company reports on its outage map there are 1,208 active power outages with 165,908 customers without power in Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky.

In Ohio, Butler County has 49,535 customers without power. Clermont County has 150 outages and 16,230 customers without power. Hamilton County has 415 outages affecting 54,037 customers. Warren County has 133 outages and 29,813 customers without power. There was no estimated time of restoration. Duke says repairs and damage assessment are underway.

In Kentucky, there were 16,230 customers without power. Kenton County has 2,979 customers without power. Campbell County has 11,939 customers without power. No estimates are available as to when power will be restored.

Duke spokeswoman Sally Thelen said it's currently not safe for crews to get out to work on restoring power and urged residents to be patient.

As the storm moves through and away from the Cincinnati area, damage assessors will be out on the road, she said, adding Duke crews from outside Ohio and Kentucky may be called to assist.

Update, 6:45 p.m.: Duke Energy continues to report power outages with more than 162,000 customers without power.

The power company reports on its outage map there are 902 active power outages with 162,569 customers without power in Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky.

In Ohio, Butler County has 48,039 customers without power and there was no estimated time of restoration. Clermont County has 13,235 customers without power, and there is now no estimated time of restoration. Hamilton County has 415 outages affecting 53,943 customers and there was no estimated time of restoration. Warren County has 112 outages and 29,266 customers without power and there was no estimated time of restoration. Duke says repairs and damage assessments are underway.

Duke spokeswoman Sally Thelen said there haven't been this many outages since 2012.

She said this is the "perfect storm," adding that Duke's meteorologists were monitoring the storm system.

Thelen said it's currently not safe for crews to get out to work on restoring power and urged residents to be patient.

As the storm moves through and away from the Cincinnati area, damage assessors will be out on the road, she said, adding Duke crews from outside Ohio and Kentucky may be called to assist.

Update, 6:30 p.m.: Duke Energy continues to report power outages with more than 141,000 customers without power.

The power company reports on its outage map there are 755 active power outages with 141,652 customers without power in Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky.

In Ohio, Butler County has 45,923 customers without power and there was no estimated time of restoration. Clermont County has 9,274 customers without power, and the estimated time of restoration is by 11 p.m. Hamilton County has 270 outages affecting 33,587 customers and there was no estimated time of restoration. Warren County has 72 outages and 25,138 customers without power and there was no estimated time of restoration.

In Kentucky, Kenton County has 2,567 customers without power. Duke estimated restoration of power there by 10:45 p.m.

Update, 6:15 p.m.: Duke Energy continues to report power outages with more than 100,000 customers without power.

The power company reports 545 active power outages with 105,895 customers without power in Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky

Butler County has 45,923 customers without power and there was no estimated time of restoration. Hamilton County has 270 outages affecting 33,587 customers. Warren County has 72 outages and 25,138 customers without power.

Update, 6 p.m.: A flash flood warning is currently in effect for northwestern Butler and southwestern Preble counties until 8:15 p.m., the National Weather Service said.

The warning is also in place in parts of East Central Indiana and Southeast Indiana.

Forecasters said flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor drainage and low-lying areas is possible.

Areas that may experience flash flooding include Hamilton, Oxford, Connersville, Brookville, Liberty, West College Corner, Glenwood, Darrtown, Salem, Reily, Waterloo, Blooming Grove, Columbia, Metamora, Bunker Hill, Brownsville, Millville, Laurel, Milton and College Corner.

Duke Energy's online outage map is currently showing 39,500 customers without power in Greater Cincinnati. Most of those outages are concentrated in Butler, Hamilton and Warren counties.

The company is anticipating restoration times of as late as 10:15 p.m.

Update, 5:40 p.m.: A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for counties throughout Southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana, according to the National Weather Service.

Forecasters said wind gusts of 70 mph and penny-size hail are possible in some areas, adding that residents should expect damage to trees and power lines.

Counties impacted include Butler, Preble, Clermont and Hamilton in Ohio; Boone, Campbell and Kenton in Kentucky; and Dearborn, Ohio and Ripley in Indiana. The warnings are in place as late as 6:30 p.m.

Areas impacted include Lawrenceburg, Greendale, Aurora, Rising Sun, Bright, Milan, Moores Hill, Hidden Valley and Oakbrook in Indiana, Erlanger, Florence, Burlington, Fort Thomas, Independence, Newport, Edgewood, Alexandria, Elsmere and Covington in Kentucky, and Cincinnati, Harrison, Cheviot, Cleves, Forest Park, North College Hill, Montgomery, Madeira, Wyoming. Shawnee, Taylor Creek, Bridgetown, Miami Heights, Norwood and Blue Ash in Ohio.

"Large hail and damaging winds and continuous cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm," forecasters said. "Lightning is one of nature's leading killers. Remember, if you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning."

Update, 4:35 p.m.: The National Weather Service says "strong to severe" thunderstorms are hitting parts of Greater Cincinnati Monday afternoon.

Forecasters said the storms are over parts of eastern Indiana and southwest Ohio and slowly moving east. Warren County, along with parts of Clermont, Butler, Hamilton and Brown counties are currently at an enhanced risk of severe weather, according to NWS.

Previous reporting: The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for counties across the region until 10 p.m. Monday.

The watch is in place for counties throughout Southeast Indiana, Northern Kentucky and Southwest Ohio, forecasters say.

Severe weather:Here are the differences between a Tornado Watch and a Tornado Warning

According to a hazardous weather outlook from the National Weather Service, there is a possibility of strong to severe storms this afternoon into tonight in Greater Cincinnati. Strong straight line winds are the main threat, though large hail can`t be ruled out. Locally heavy rainfall is possible and may lead to localized flash flooding.

What Greater Cincinnati counties are affected?

Greater Cincinnati counties impacted by the watch include Brown, Clermont, Hamilton, Warren and Butler in Ohio; Boone, Bracken, Campbell, Grant, Gallatin, Kenton and Pendleton in Kentucky; and Franklin, Dearborn, Ohio, Union and Switzerland in Indiana.

Heat wave:Cincinnati, it's going to be a hot summer. Here are some resources to beat the heat

Heat advisory also in effect for parts of Indiana, Kentucky, southwest Ohio

A heat advisory is in place until 7 p.m. and an excessive heat watch will be in effect Tuesday afternoon through evening, forecasters say, with dangerously hot conditions and heat index values up to 109 possible.

Greater Cincinnati weather:This week will be hot, but how will it compare to previous years?

"Extreme heat and humidity will significantly increase the potential for heat-related illnesses, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities," reads a statement from NWS.

The heat watch covers portions of East Central and Southeast Indiana; Northeast and Northern Kentucky and Central, South Central, Southwest and West Central Ohio.

Greater Cincinnati heat wave:Severe storms, heat index up to 109 possible this week. Here's when things will cool down.

Forecasters are urging residents to stay hydrated, stay out of the sun and remain in air-conditioned spaces.

Ice and snow start hammering East Coast states after same deadly ...

CNN —

The massive storm system that pulverized homes, killed three people in Louisiana and brought blizzard conditions to northern states is bringing a new wave of brutal weather starting Thursday.

More than a foot of snow has covered parts of the upper Midwest since Monday, including Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, the Dakotas, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Next, significant ice and heavy snow will smother parts of the Mid-Atlantic and New England, forecasters said.

Parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York have already seen several inches’ worth of snowflakes, with some areas seeing up to six inches. More than a foot of additional snow could be on the way – while some places with higher elevations could get walloped with up to 2 feet of snow.

“We urge everyone in the impacted regions to avoid unnecessary travel tonight and tomorrow,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement Thursday. “Work from home if possible, stay off the roads, and make sure you and your loved ones remain vigilant.”

At its peak snowfall rate, the storm is expected to dump about one to 2 inches of snow per hour in parts of New York, the governor said, adding power outages were possible over the coming days.

The intense snowfall will spread into interior New England on Friday, with up to a foot expected there.

In Pittsburgh, some areas were under a winter weather advisory as temperatures dropped below freezing after a round of rain, warning that an “additional glazing of ice could occur through midnight,” forecasters said Thursday night.

Miles of Interstate 90 in South Dakota were closed Thursday due to hazardous weather. South Dakota DOT

Freezing rain and snow also covered parts of the Mid-Atlantic Thursday. A quarter inch of ice was reported Thursday morning in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia and Maryland, and about a tenth of an inch had built up in parts of Virginia.

The mammoth storm system that plowed across much of the country this week will morph into a nor’easter that will continue spread ice, snow and rain to the Northeast.

Now, as the East Coast hunkers down, tornado survivors in the South are grappling with colossal damage.

A tornado passes a highway Wednesday in New Iberia, Louisiana. Mike Ibert via Reuters

‘All of a sudden, everything just blew up’

The same storm system now slamming eastern states left a trail of devastation in Gulf Coast states.

At least 50 tornado reports have been made since Tuesday in Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, Texas Alabama, Georgia and Oklahoma.

In northern Louisiana, a tornado that moved through the town of Farmerville was rated an EF-3, with 140 mph winds, according to the National Weather Service. The tornado, which moved through Union Parish Tuesday evening, was 500 yards wide at its largest point and was on the ground for over nine miles.

At least 20 people were injured and the tornado demolished parts of an apartment complex and a mobile home park, Farmerville Police Detective Cade Nolan said.

Patsy Andrews was home with her children in Farmerville when she heard “rushing wind like a train” outside, she told CNN affiliate KNOE-TV.

“All of a sudden that wind was so heavy, it broke my back door,” Andrews said. “The lights went off and all we could hear was glass popping everywhere.”

A tornado caused widespread damage in Union Parish, Louisiana. CNN

Andrews said she and her daughter crawled into a hallway as glass shattered around them and water leaked through the roof. They ended up hunkering down in their bathroom and praying. Her family survived the storm but was left with a damaged home.

Further south, the weather service also confirmed two EF-2 tornadoes – in preliminary ratings while damage surveys are ongoing – in the New Orleans area. The first tornado impacted areas of St. Charles Parish, Louisiana, including Montz and Killona, where one person was killed. The second affected areas from Marrero to Arabi on the south and east sides of New Orleans.

More than 50 structures were damaged, St. Charles Parish President Matthew Jewell said Thursday, including 45 in Killona and nine in Montz. About 21 of those are no longer livable.

“This happens as the weather’s getting colder and 10 days before Christmas and to a lot of people who are just now recovering from Hurricane Ida,” Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said in a Thursday news conference. “That was especially heartbreaking in St. Charles Parish.”

In Jefferson Parish, Trent Theriot ducked inside a small closer as soon as he heard a tornado was headed his way.

“A strong gust of wind came through the front door … the tornado came through the front,” Theriot told CNN’s Nick Valencia. “All of a sudden, everything just blew up.”

Jefferson Parish Councilman Scott Walker posted images of storm damage on Facebook. "Powerlines down, home severely damaged, rooftops ripped off, " he wrote. Courtesy Scott Walker

When he emerged from the closet, Theriot’s house no longer had a roof and had shifted several feet off its foundation.

But he said he’s fortunate to be alive. “Thank Jesus,” Theriot said, “I’m here for another day.”

‘More devastating than initially expected’

The tornado that shredded much of Gretna, Louisiana, on Wednesday may have damaged up to 5,000 structures, the mayor said.

“Unfortunately, now that the sun is up, it is more devastating than initially expected,” Mayor Belinda Constant said Thursday.

A tornado blew out a vehicle's windows and damaged or destroyed homes in Gretna, Louisiana. Matthew Hinton/AP

“There are more houses that will probably have to be condemned or just demolished based on such damage,” she said. “It’s about a mile-and-a-half stretch that is completely just inundated with destruction.”

Despite the devastation in Gretna, only three injuries were reported, the mayor said.

“This is not the place where we normally have tornadoes. So our reality of a safe house is not what it is in other parts of the country. But people survived in bathtubs,” she said.

“We’re a resilient people, and this is the type of thing that don’t choose locations.”

Widespread power outages in the cold

Power lines are mangled after a tornado struck Wednesday in Gretna, Louisiana. Matthew Hinton/AP

From tornadoes in the South to blizzard conditions in the Upper Midwest, more than 100,000 homes, businesses and other electricity customers in the US had no power Thursday night, according to PowerOutage.us.

Most of those outages – more than 80,000 – were in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Ferocious winds from blizzard conditions knocked down power lines in the Upper Midwest, and temperatures in some areas without power plunged to near or below freezing.

Visibility was significantly reduced Thursday on Interstate 94 near Bismarck, North Dakota. Tom Stromme/The Bismarck Tribune/AP

A mother and child were killed and found far from their home

At least three deaths in Louisiana have been linked to the storm.

Yoshiko A. Smith, 30, and her 8-year-old son, Nikolus Little, were killed Tuesday when a tornado struck Caddo Parish and destroyed their home, local officials said.

Their bodies were found far from where their house once stood, officials said. Autopsies have been ordered for both, the county coronor said.

In St. Charles Parish, a 56-year-old woman died after a tornado hit her home, the Louisiana Department of Health said Wednesday.

And “a number of people” remain in hospitals, the governor said. Some have significant injuries and others are stable, he added.

In Texas, a tornado struck Wise County near Paradise and Decatur on Tuesday, officials said. Video showed homes splintered, with roofs ripped off in Decatur.

And in Wayne, Oklahoma, a tornado damaged homes and barns Tuesday, officials said. No injuries were reported, but homes were flattened or had roofs torn off, according to footage from CNN affiliate KOCO.

Given the extensive destruction across the state, “I am amazed that we didn’t have more loss of life in Louisiana, and I’m very thankful for it,” Edwards said Thursday.

Edwards said alert notifications on cell phones were extremely important in giving people proper warning before storms impacted their areas.

But while road crews clear debris and try to restore downed power lines, Edwards urged residents to avoid sightseeing hard-hit areas – such as Iberia Medical Center in New Iberia, a city reportedly hit by a tornado.

Iberia Medical Center was damaged by severe weather Wednesday in New Iberia, Louisiana. Leslie Westbrook/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate/AP

In Arabi, Cindy DeLucca Hernandez thought she could beat the storm while driving home with her 16-year-old son after school. Then she found herself facing a tornado.

Hernandez shared video with CNN that showed a tornado blowing through Arabi, kicking up debris and taking out power lines.

A confirmed tornado struck Arabi, Louisiana, on Wednesday. Matthew Hinton/AP

“We started seeing debris and we got hit a couple of times by it,” Hernandez said. “That’s when I put the car in reverse.”

Hernandez and her son made it home safely.

But “it was extremely scary,” Hernandez said. “I’ve never ever been through anything like that.”

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Winter storm: More than a foot of snow in the Midwest and 2 feet in ...

Editor’s Note: Caught in the path of the storm? Use CNN’s lite site for low bandwidth.

CNN —

A deadly storm system plowed across the United States on Thursday bringing tornado threats and dumping wintry precipitation and rain on Americans from the Gulf to Canada.

More than 91 million people were under a winter weather warning or advisory as ice, snow and sleet were falling while the storm pushed through the Midwest into the Northeast. In the South, steady rain fell and residents in some states worried about strong winds and the potential for twisters.

At least three people died in weather-related incidents.

The bad weather prompted airlines in the United States to cancel thousands of flights and made travel on many roadways nerve-wracking. And forecasters said the storm will keep impacting some areas, including the Northeast, through Friday.

FOLLOW LIVE UPDATES

The storm has already produced more than 3 feet of snow in one part of New Mexico and more than a foot across several Midwestern states. Some areas of the Chicago metro received as much as 11 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service snowmap.

CNN affiliate WLS spoke to a Chicago resident whose car got stuck in the snow.

“Yeah, it’s frustrating,” David Dailey said. “I wish that they would plow and I know we got some rain before the snow and sometimes it’s a little harder to salt, but the past couple times we had snow it seems like they haven’t been really on top of it.”

Meanwhile, an ice storm is delivering dangerous conditions from Arkansas through Ohio.

Many are already suffering that consequence. As of around 8 p.m. ET, there were more than 300,000 customers without power across a massive swath of the United States, according to Poweroutage.us.

The “significant winter storm is expected to impact much of the central and Northeastern U.S. through Friday night,” said the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center.

In Texas, the storm will test the state’s power grid, which suffered catastrophic outages last February. The state said 246 people died – most of them from hypothermia – after a snow and ice storm left thousands of Texans without power for weeks.

Leaders of the state’s power grid – Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT – said Wednesday they believe they’re prepared to handle the high demands during the storm but also warned there may be local outages due to ice on wires or fallen tree limbs.

Gov. Greg Abbott said in a briefing Thursday that the state’s power grid has “plenty of power available at this time,” calling the weather “one of the most significant icing events that we’ve had in the state of Texas in at least several decades.”

“The power grid is performing very well at this time,” he said. “At the expected peak demand, there should be about 10,000 megawatts of extra power capacity. To put that in context, that is about enough extra power to supply about 2 million homes.”

About 33,000 Texans were without power Thursday night, according to Poweroutage.us.

Crews from the New Hampshire Department of Transportation remove debris from a fallen tree near Chesterfield on Friday, February 4. Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer/AP A pedestrian walks through steam on a rainy day in New York City on February 4. Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images Three men work to push a car up a driveway in Columbus, Ohio. Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch/USA Today Network Plows clear snow and ice from Interstate 93 in Hooksett, New Hampshire, on February 4. Joseph Prezioso/AFP/Getty Images Edward Caldwell works to clear a downed tree at his mother's house in Memphis, Tennessee, on Thursday, February 3. Brad Vest/Getty Images A snow plow travels down Interstate 64 in Louisville, Kentucky, on February 3. Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images St. Louis police officers Eric Moran, left, and Scott Christian help a motorist who was stuck in snow at a highway exit on February 3. David Carson/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP The Texas Capitol is enshrouded by steam on February 3. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman/USA Today Network Parents and their children walk together after school in Erie, Pennsylvania, on February 3. Greg Wohlford/Erie Times-News via AP Jacquayla Fields and her mother, Tiffany Thomas, stand beneath the damaged front porch of a house belonging to Thomas' uncle after a tornado struck Hale County, Alabama, on February 3. No one in the house was hurt. Gary Cosby Jr./The Tuscaloosa News via AP Ice accumulates on a cactus in Austin, Texas, on February 3. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman/USA Today Network Snow covers a limestone statue of Jesus Christ at the summit of Mount Cristo Rey in Sunland Park, New Mexico. Omar Ornelas/USA Today Network/Reuters A police officer assists a truck driver on Interstate 20 in Abilene, Texas. Ronald W. Erdrich/The Abilene Reporter-News via AP A person walks by a statue of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Rev. Theodore Hesburgh in South Bend, Indiana, on Wednesday, February 2. Robert Franklin/South Bend Tribune via AP Salvation Army Maj. Luis Melendez inspects beds at the Mabee Red Shield Lodge in Odessa, Texas, as the shelter prepared to open as an emergency shelter on February 2. Eli Hartman/Odessa American via AP A pickup truck needs to be pulled out after sliding into the median of Interstate 70 near Columbia, Missouri. Don Shrubshell/Columbia Daily Tribune via AP Cory Pacheco uses a snow blower to clear out his driveway in Flint, Michigan. Jake May/MLive.com/The Flint Journal via AP A snow plow clears a road in Columbus, Ohio. Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch/USA Today Network Ice begins to form on a Texas flag in San Antonio. Eric Gay/AP Motorists navigate Interstate 90 in Chicago on February 2. Charles Rex Arbogast/AP A pedestrian crosses a nearly empty road in Detroit. Matthew Hatcher/Bloomberg/Getty Images Salt is spread on the sidewalks in downtown Indianapolis. Grace Hollars/IndyStar/USA Today Network A man clears snow at his home in Overland Park, Kansas. Charlie Riedel/AP People try to help a motorist who was stuck in the snow in Oklahoma City. Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman/USA Today Network In pictures: Winter storm threatens millions across US Prev Next

Tornado concerns in the South

Rain was falling across the South, and there were flash flood warnings or flood watches in parts of Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee.

There were also tornado watches in 14 counties in Alabama.

The National Weather Service said a tornado was observed in Elmore County in east central Alabama.

One person died and three people were injured during what the National Weather Service called a “likely tornado” in Hale County, Alabama, county Emergency Management Director Russell Weeden told CNN affiliate WVTM.

Gov. Kay Ivey asked the public to be vigilant Thursday night as severe weather continues to cross the state.

“Folks, please remain weather aware tonight as severe weather continues to track across our state. We are monitoring the storm system on the state level in conjunction with @AlabamaEMA,” Ivey wrote in a tweet.

Air travel misery

Airlines canceled more than 6,400 US flights Thursday, according to aviation tracking site FlightAware.

The storm is having significant impacts on American Airlines operations at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, the company said.

“Due to conditions at the airport, the remainder of flights bound for DFW this evening have been canceled and we anticipate additional impact through tomorrow morning. We apologize to our customers whose travel plans may be affected,” American Airlines spokesperson Gianna Urgo said.

Almost 3,000 US flights have already been canceled for Friday – many of them in the Northeast, where the storm is headed.

What ‘several rounds of winter weather’ will look like

As the storm system pushes farther east, forecasters say, it will deliver a frigid mix of hazards.

“The system will be prolonged with several rounds of winter weather lasting through Friday for portions of the central U.S. before shifting to the interior Northeast,” the weather service said Wednesday.

An update to the ongoing winter storm producing snow, sleet, and freezing rain over south-central through northeastern portions of the country. pic.twitter.com/KdRrV78J3I — NWS Weather Prediction Center (@NWSWPC) February 3, 2022

CNN meteorologists said these cities will be feeling the worst weather effects:

Dallas: Snow and sleet will end Friday afternoon, but temperatures will stay below freezing until Saturday morning. The Dallas Independent School District will be closed Thursday and Friday, officials said.

Houston: Meanwhile, a winter mix and freezing rain is possible for Houston on Thursday night as temperatures drop into the upper 20s.

Louisville, Kentucky: Up to half an inch of ice is expected to form. Plus, about 1 inch of sleet and snow – each – is projected to fall. Peak hours for a mixture of freezing rain, snow and sleet are 7 a.m. Thursday through 1 a.m. Friday.

Travel is already miserable

Chicago has been hammered with snow and is expected to get more Thursday. Scott Olson/Getty Images

Perilous travel conditions have caused crashes and road closures. Two people died in weather-related accidents in New Mexico.

One person died at the scene when a vehicle slid off a snow-covered road and flipped over 100 feet down a mountain in Bernalillo County. In Guadalupe County, one man was killed in a chain-reaction crash on Interstate 40.

In Illinois, officials closed parts of several highways after numerous wrecks.

“The combination of the volumes of snow, high winds, and frigid temperatures make travel near impossible in some areas of the state with several highways shutdown from vehicle crashes and jack-knifed semi-trucks,” said Kevin Sur, spokesperson for the Illinois Emergency Management Agency.

Correction: A previous version of this story overstated the new February 2 snowfall record for Oklahoma City. The new record is 3 inches.

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Massive California storms pummels state with heavy rain and winds

Looking for updates on California storms? Follow our latest coverage here.

SAN FRANCISCO – California declared a state of emergency Wednesday as a powerful storm generated 45-foot waves out at sea, dropped soaking rain on already saturated ground, and prompted warnings of floods and mudslides, knocking out power to more than 100,000 people.

The storm was expected to dump up to 6 inches of rain in parts of the San Francisco Bay Area where most of the region would remain under flood warnings into late Thursday night. In Southern California, the storm was expected to peak in intensity overnight into early Thursday morning with Santa Barbara and Ventura counties likely to see the most rain, forecasters said.

On Wednesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom authorized state National Guard units to support disaster response as a massive storm pummeled much of the state's coastline.

Fire and rescue equipment and personnel have been prepositioned in areas deemed most likely to experience severe flooding and mudflows.

GRAPHICS:'Rivers in the sky': Graphics show atmospheric river soaking California's Bay Area

"If you've still got power, it's a good idea to charge your cellphone, computers and tablets now while you can," said National Weather Service meteorologist Cynthia Palmer in the agency's San Francisco area office. If the power goes out, having access to timely information about the storm – and something to watch – will be useful, she said.

The storm is termed a "bomb cyclone" because it is expected to be marked by a quick drop in atmospheric pressure resulting in a high-intensity storm.

"All told it's about a 30-hour event from start to finish," said Rick Canepa, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's San Francisco office. "The rain won't be done until Thursday afternoon or early evening."

Severe weather could drop 10 or more inches of rain in some parts of Northern California over the next week, forecasters say. Wednesday's storm was expected to knock down trees, cause widespread flooding, wash out roads, cause hillsides to collapse, slow airports and potentially lead to the "loss of human life," the National Weather Service said.

But officials warn even then the danger isn't over. Forecasters are watching other systems out at sea that could also hit the region with more precipitation.

Meanwhile, California wasn't the only place facing severe weather on Wednesday. A possible tornado touched down near Montgomery, Alabama, early Wednesday. There were no deaths but the twister damaged more than 50 homes.

Flood-related deaths confirmed in Sacramento; motorists rescued

Two more bodies were found Wednesday after flooding in a rural part of south Sacramento County, authorities said, bringing the death toll from the atmospheric river storm on New Year's Eve to three.

The third body was found in a vehicle that was submerged in water , said Sgt. Amar Gandhi, a Sacramento County Sheriff's Office spokesman.

The victim had not been identified and there was no additional information about the incident, Gandhi said Wednesday night.

During the morning, California Highway Patrol officers found the body of a woman while recovering vehicles that got stuck due to flooding.

On Sunday, authorities discovered the body of a man inside a submerged vehicle. Gandhi said rescue efforts in Sacramento County are ongoing.

Elsewhere across Northern California communities, several motorists were rescued from flooded roads and fallen trees.

The San Francisco Fire Department rescued a family Wednesday night after fallen trees on a city road trapped the family.

California residents face outages

With heavy rain saturating the ground and strong winds, trees are more likely to fall and can cause widespread power outages, according to Karla Nemeth, director of the California Department of Water Resources.

Officials and power companies warned residents to prepare for possible outages due to the storm by creating emergency kits and keeping essential devices charged.

Nearly 178,000 homes and businesses were in the dark Wednesday night, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks outages. Most outages were reported on the north coast of the state.

Helping homeless people from storm

At the foot of San Francisco’s Bernal Heights neighborhood, Magaly Rowell waited for her bus under an umbrella at what passes for a bus shelter next to Precita Park. She was defying the elements not because of her job at a security company, but to feed homeless people at a nearby church, something Rowell said she does daily.

“It’s not so bad if there’s no wind,” Rowell said as her umbrella got pelted by the rain and torrents of water flowed down Folsom Street. “It gets harder when the wind picks up like today. I worry about the homeless people. They’re the ones who suffer the most when the weather gets like this.”

Evacuations ordered in coastal cities

Officials in Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara issued evacuation orders Wednesday as the huge storm puts the coastal areas at high risk due to potential mudslides and flooding.

Mandatory evacuation orders were issued for those living in burn scar areas in Santa Barbara County due to potential flooding and debris flows, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown announced during a Wednesday news conference.

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office issued numerous evacuation orders for southern parts of the county throughout Wednesday due to concerns over potential flooding and debris flow from storm conditions.

Flight disruptions amid powerful storm

With its high winds and heavy rains, the storm is already causing flight disruptions in the Bay Area with more anticipated to come as the peak approaches.

As of Wednesday afternoon, San Francisco International Airport has experienced 74 flight cancellations, accounting for 8% of all flights.

About 191 flights have been delayed by an average of 35 minutes, according to Doug Yakel, a public information officer for the airport. "Delays and cancellations are a result of both the reduced ceilings and winds," he told USA TODAY.

"In regards to general airport operations here at OAK, our operations team is prepared," a spokesperson for Oakland International Airport told USA TODAY. Passengers with flights to and from Oakland are strongly encouraged to check with their airline through their mobile app or website for updates on their flights.

Travel waivers for flights disrupted by California's "bomb cyclone":

Southwest Airlines is offering free rebooking for flights scheduled for Wednesday, for flights to and from Oakland, Sacramento, San Francisco, and San Jose. The rebooking must have the same city pairs and travel dates within 14 days of the original travel date.

On Wednesday night, Delta Air Lines issued a travel waiver for flights scheduled on Thursday and Friday to or from San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento, San Jose, and Fresno. The fare difference will be waived when the rebooked travel takes place on or before Jan. 8.

Residents brace for floods

In San Francisco, customers at Papenhausen Hardware were most worried about flooding, said store co-owner Karl Aguilar.

“Last week a fair amount of people were focused on the roofs – small leaks, windows, things like that,’’ Aguilar said. “There was a point where it transitioned and people became much more concerned with flooding mitigation. This particular storm, it’s all flood mitigation.’’

A few doors to the east, Grace Daryanani at Bulls Head restaurant has sandbags and wet/dry vacuum cleaners at the ready. Her space has flooded in big storms before but she's hoping a new outdoor dining area might divert some of the water.

“Maybe that will help," she said.

LEARN MORE:What is a bomb cyclone?

WEATHER TERMS:What is an 'atmospheric river'?

Wind gusts as high as 80 mph

Forecasters warned of flood threats and issued high wind warnings in the lead-up to the storm. The National Weather Service in the Bay Area delivered a rare admonition saying the coming "brutal" storm system "needs to be taken seriously."

"Honestly, the biggest story right now is the winds," said Palmer. Coastal areas could be hit with winds in the 40 to 50 mph range, while some mountain areas could get gusts as high as 80 mph.

Flooding and landslides likely

Because the ground was already saturated with the more than 5 inches of rain that fell on New Year's Eve, Wednesday's storm could cause severe problems and damage in some areas.

"The main concern is the smaller watersheds and steep slopes. So mudslides, shallow landslides and urban and small creek flooding could get quite significant for a period of time on Wednesday night in some locations," said Daniel Swain, a climatologist at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Severe weather, possible tornadoes in South

The South, too, was being hit with intense weather Wednesday. Heavy rains, flash floods and severe weather were seen in a swath across Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina.

A possible tornado touched down in east Montgomery, Alabama at 3:14 a.m. on Wednesday.

Rodney Penn, who was home when the storm hit, said a fallen tree limb broke out the windows in his wife's car but there was no structural damage to his apartment.

“It literally sounded like there were a thousand baseball bats hitting the side of the house at the same time,” Penn said.

In South Carolina, five counties were under a tornado watch Wednesday.

Heavy rain in California not an end to drought in West

The extreme drought conditions California has struggled under are helping avert some possible flooding because many of the state's larger reservoirs are still quite low, said Swain.

"They have a lot of headroom right now to absorb a lot of water," he said.

The state finds itself in the middle of a flood emergency even as it's in the middle of a drought emergency, Karla Nemeth, director of the California Department of Water Resources said during a news conference Wednesday.

"A lot of our trees are stressed after three years of intensive drought, the ground is saturated and there is a significant chance of downed trees that will create significant problems, potentially flooding problems, potentially power problems," she said.

While the rains are likely to alleviate the short-term drought in Northern California along the coast, they will do little in terms of bringing drought relief to the West as a whole.

"It won't really help move the needle in the Colorado basin but it certainly will in central and northern California," Swain said.

More water is on the way

There are two more possible storms also out in the Pacific, one that could arrive late Friday and run into Sunday and then another possible storm that could arrive Tuesday, Canepa said.

Both could bring higher-than-normal rain levels through the middle of January.

There's a wide range of uncertainty for next week, ranging from a couple of additional moderate storms which wouldn't cause too many problems to one or possibly more atmospheric river events.

What's an atmospheric river?

The storm, the second of three or possibly four headed toward the California coast, is coming from across the Pacific ocean. It's what's known as an atmospheric river or, to use the term more common a few years ago, a Pineapple Express because it originates over Hawaii.

These storms bring heavy rainfall and occur when a line of warm, moist air flows from near the islands across the Pacific Ocean to the West Coast.

When it reaches the cooler air over the western landmass, the water vapor falls as heavy rain. Atmospheric rivers are long, flowing regions of the atmosphere that carry water vapor across a swath of sky 250 to 375 miles wide. They can be more than 1,000 miles long – and can carry more water than the Mississippi River.

Contributing: Dinah Voyles Pulver and Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY; Evan Mealins and Alex Gladden, Montgomery Advertiser; Hannah Workman, The Record

Louisville snow: What are road conditions, where are power outages

The Louisville area is again digging out from a winter storm — this time one that caused more than 100,000 power outages across Kentucky and at least three deaths.

About 5.5 inches of fresh snow fell at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on Monday into early Tuesday, the National Weather Service said. Some parts of the metro area received just 3 inches of snow, while other outlying areas saw as much as 6 inches, per the weather service.

And more severe weather is likely on the way, with much of Kentucky under a Winter Storm Watch through Friday morning.

"Dangerous" temperatures were in the forecast for Wednesday morning, according to the weather service, with Kentucky and Southern Indiana seeing lows in the single digits and some spots possibly dropping below zero, depending on whether skies were clear.

Anywhere from 2 to 6 inches of new snow could fall in Louisville from late Wednesday to Thursday, according to the weather service.

Read more:All 'A' Classic basketball tournaments canceled because of winter storm

But meteorologist Mark Jarvis said Tuesday that the looming winter system could feature "quite a bit of differences" in the amount and type of precipitation that hits the region.

"I would say there could be another significant amount of snow, but probably not as much as this latest batch that came through," he said.

Kentucky and Southern Indiana were not alone in their weather struggles, with 25 states and more than 150 million people under winter storm warnings and advisories in recent days that stretched from southern Texas to northern Maine, as record-smashing cold accompanied a storm across the central U.S.

Meanwhile, crews continued to clear snow from the roads and prepare for more precipitation.

Major Louisville roadways were in “fair driving condition” as of Tuesday afternoon, the city’s Department of Public Works said.

MetroSafe reported several crashes during the storm in Jefferson County, including 14 between noon and 5 p.m. Tuesday, but no traffic fatalities were reported in the area. Across the commonwealth, at least three people died Monday in crashes, according to Kentucky State Police. Those were in Rockcastle, Carter and Marshall counties.

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer also reminded homeowners, landlords and businesses that they’re responsible for clearing their own sidewalks, which can lead to frustration for some.

Debra Harlan often walks her Bonnycastle neighborhood but said some businesses on Bardstown Road clear the parking lots of snow, but not the sidewalks.

She said she has fallen down in the past and a couple of days ago had to help a woman struggling with her groceries at Kroger while attempting to use the crosswalk.

“Every winter, this is the biggest hurdle we face,” she said. “Constant attention to cars, zero attention to walking.”

The snow also resulted in the closures of some schools, COVID-19 vaccine sites, state buildings and other businesses.

Related:COVID-19 vaccination canceled because of weather? Here's what to know

Louisville’s vaccine center at Broadbent Arena was closed again Tuesday but was to reopen at 9 a.m. Wednesday. Whether or not the site is open Thursday depends on how much precipitation the city gets Wednesday, Metro Department of Public Health officials said, but they expect the center to be open Friday.

They’ll also open Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. to fit in more make-up appointments. Anyone who had an appointment canceled should receive an email from LouHealthCovidVaccines@louisvilleky.gov to reschedule their appointment.

Gov. Andy Beshear said the regional vaccine sites operated in conjunction with Kroger would reopen Wednesday or Thursday, depending on the location.

“Operation White Flag” is still in full swing to help care for Louisville’s homeless population.

Shelters remain open at Grace Church, St. Vincent de Paul, Wayside Christian Mission, the Salvation Army and The Healing Place.

Like last week's stretch of cold, wet, icy and snowy conditions, the latest weather system caused numerous power outages across the commonwealth.

About 150,000 homes in 47 Kentucky counties were without power at the height of the storm, Emergency Management Director Michael Dossett said. That number was down to about 127,000 by 5 p.m. Tuesday.

In Jefferson County, fewer than 10 homes were still without power by Tuesday evening, according to LG&E's tracker.

LG&E spokeswoman Natasha Collins said about 4,200 customers were impacted by outages in the overnight and early morning hours, with three wires also going down at various times. But the issues were "resolved quickly," Collins said.

Multiple Kentucky Transportation Cabinet maintenance facilities in Eastern Kentucky were also without power during the storm, and the Kentucky National Guard was called in to help with clean up to make way for power restoration in some areas.

State officials said Kentuckians experiencing a downed power line or power outage should contact their local utility company.

You may like:From ice to holiday snow, relive the 10 worst winter weather events in Kentuckiana history

Winter weather tips:How often should I start my car and let it idle in cold weather? Answer: Don't.

Southern Indiana reported more limited power issues, with no outages reported in the area by 5 p.m. Tuesday, according to Duke Energy’s map.

The weather still had an impact across the river, though.

In Hanover, Indiana, Brandi Yocum said while her three boys enjoy taking a break from virtual school to play in the snow, it’s hard for her because she often provides heated beds and food for stray cats.

“I think they spread the word to the others, because I’ve started seeing some new ones,” she said.

Still, some in the region who don’t mind the cold were making the best of the snowfall.

Jaime Miller, 34, of Louisville, said she and her two daughters, ages 4 and 6, took some time away from virtual school and treated the weather like a “snow-cation,” with puzzles, games, arts and crafts and, of course, family photos.

It’s a tradition her own parents had with her when she was about 7 years old.

“I've already lost one snowball fight — first graders are savage — but it was worth it,” she said.

California 'bomb cyclone' brings record rain, surges toward East Coast

The 'bomb cyclone' storms that drenched California are heading toward the East Coast.

New Jersey and New York declared states of emergency on Monday night.

Two people were killed near Seattle when a tree fell on a vehicle during the weekend storms.

A broad swath of California was under siege Monday from high winds and historic rains fueled by an iconic "bomb cyclone" that unleashed mudslides and flooding and triggered widespread power outages.

The drought-plagued West needs the rain, but not like this. Meteorologists say the bomb cyclone – a rapid drop in atmospheric pressure – helped drive a long, wide plume of precipitation dubbed an "atmospheric river" from the Pacific Ocean onto the West Coast. In California, power lines tumbled and more than 100,000 homes and businesses remained in the dark Monday.

Another 50,000 power customers were affected across Washington state, where two people were killed when a tree fell on a vehicle near Seattle.

"The same massive storm that is currently bringing heavy rain, snow and strong winds to the Western states is expected to slowly move eastward across the country," AccuWeather senior meteorologist Brett Anderson warned.

What is going on with the weather?Tackle deep climate issues and current events with the Climate Point newsletter

The front line of the storms that began late last week in California already have marched through much of the nation's midsection. A suspected tornado damaged buildings and knocked out power in communities along the border between Illinois and Missouri. The severe weather also was blamed for damage across multiple states.

The East Coast was bracing for the storms. AccuWeather meteorologist Joseph Bauer warned that heavy rains and winds could choke New York City's morning commute Tuesday; 3 to 5 inches of rain is possible over the next couple of days. And the latest storms slamming California could bring more foul weather to the East by week's end.

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for parts of northeast New Jersey and southeast New York due to thunderstorms on Monday night. 1 to two inches of rain could fall within an hour, according to the service.

"Take this seriously," New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said. "Use mass transit for your commute tonight and tomorrow. Don't walk or drive into flooded areas."

The threat of stormy weather prompted New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy to declare states of emergency beginning Monday night.

"In preparation for the Nor’easter, I’m declaring a State of Emergency beginning at 8:00 PM tonight. Severe weather conditions will impact the state starting tonight through the next several days," Murphy said on Twitter.

Earlier Monday, Hochul told state agencies that work in emergency response to prepare assets for deployment across impacted regions.

California was seeing incomprehensible rainfall totals. The wettest wonder could be in Mount Tamalpais in Marin County, 20 miles north of San Francisco, where the National Weather Service measured more than 16 inches of rain over a 48-hour period. St. Helena, a city of 6,100 in wine country, saw more than 10 inches.

"Looks like 4.02 inches of rain for the calendar day in downtown SF," the Bay Area weather service tweeted. "By far the wettest Oct day ever ... 4th Wettest day EVER in SF with records back to Gold Rush."

Parts of San Francisco were swamped, and Mayor London Breed urged residents to call 311 to get help for people in need of shelter and 911 for medical emergencies.

"Help your community by checking in virtually with friends and family who may need assistance during extreme weather," Breed tweeted.

Downtown Sacramento also set a 24-hour record with more than 5 inches of rain, and a shelter was set up at City Hall.

"City Hall also belongs to the people who are having the hardest of hard times," Mayor Darrell Steinberg said. "I'm really proud of the fact that we are opening up the people's building to bring people indoors."

Heavy snow pounded high elevations of the Sierra Nevada. Several areas, including the Santa Cruz Mountains and parts of western Santa Barbara County, issued evacuation orders because of their proximity to wildfire burn scars.

Heavy rain swept into much of Southern California later in the day.

West Coast's 'bomb cyclone' could become nor'easter

The storms originated over the Pacific Ocean last week and were moving west to east across the nation, AccuWeather said. Severe thunderstorms were forecast for the Ohio and Tennessee River valleys, and rain and showers will spread farther north. By Tuesday, the storm will strengthen as it moves across southern New England, bombarding residents with heavy rain and increasingly high winds, AccuWeather said.

“An early season tempest could bring a wind-driven, chilly rain to portions of the Northeast from Monday through Wednesday," AccuWeather meteorologist Randy Adkins said.

Bomb cyclone, atmospheric river blast West Coast: 2 dead in Seattle area, hundreds of thousands without power

Flooding downpours will reach from southern Maine to eastern New York and cities such as Philadelphia, Boston and Worcester, Massachusetts, which are expected to see up to 3 to 4 inches of rain. Totals reaching 8 inches were expected in some areas as the storm intensifies off the coast, AccuWeather forecast.

Winds are expected to gust from 40 to 60 mph Tuesday and Wednesday from the Jersey Shore to the southern shore of Nova Scotia. Cities such as Provincetown, Plymouth and Boston in Massachusetts could experience wind gusts as high as 80 mph Tuesday night, AccuWeather said.

By Thursday, the nor'easter will move out ot sea – but another storm built on remnants from the "bomb cyclone" that walloped California on Sunday was expected to approach from the west, dousing East Coast trick-or-treaters over the weekend.

Contributing: Christal Hayes, USA TODAY; The Associated Press

Nicholas damage: Rain, flooding in Louisiana; Texas power outages

Tornado warnings were issued in parts of southern Louisiana early Wednesday.

Nicholas was downgraded to a tropical depression.

Some areas could get 10 more inches of rain.

More than 100,000 Texas homes and businesses remained without power for a second day Wednesday as the remnants of Hurricane Nicholas slid across the Gulf Coast from the Lone Star State into Louisiana, drenching a region still staggering from Hurricane Ida's wrath less than three weeks ago.

Nicholas, downgraded to a tropical depression with sustained winds of 30 mph, was centered about 30 miles northeast of Lake Charles, Louisiana, early Wednesday. The storm was inching east-northeast at 5 mph.

"Much of South & Central Louisiana are under flood watch today as #Nicholas moves through the state," Gov. John Bel Edwards tweeted Wednesday. "Stay aware of conditions in your local area."

Earlier, Edwards warned the state's residents to "take this storm seriously and put yourself in a position to weather it safely."

Almost 80,000 utility customers remained without power in the state, where the lights went out for more than 1 million homes and businesses during Ida's peak fury.

Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter said city crews had scoured the drainage system to keep it free from debris that might cause clogs and flooding. Hurricane Laura struck the city a little more than a year ago. Then came Hurricane Delta, then a January freeze that shattered pipes across the city of nearly 80,000 residents just 60 miles east of Beaumont, Texas. A rainstorm in May swamped houses and businesses yet again.

“With what people have gone through over the last 16 months here in Lake Charles, they are very, understandably despondent, emotional," Hunter said. "Any time we have even a hint of a weather event approaching, people get scared."

In Pointe-aux-Chenes, 70 miles southwest of New Orleans, Ida tore the tin roof off Terry and Patti Dardar’s home, leaving them without power and water. Rains from Nicholas have now soaked the top floor of their home – but it also provided badly needed water their family collected in jugs. They poured the water into a large plastic container through a strainer, and a pump powered by a generator brought the water inside.

“We ain’t got no other place,” Patti Dardar said. “This is our home.”

The National Weather Center warned that Nicholas, which already dumped more than a foot of rain on parts of Texas and several inches on areas of Louisiana, was expected to generate an additional 3 to 6 inches across the central Gulf Coast in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle through Friday, with isolated totals of 10 more inches possible in some areas.

"Life-threatening flash flooding impacts, especially in urban areas, are possible across these regions," said Alex Lamers, a National Weather Service warning coordination meteorologist.

Nicholas hits Texas coast, but weakens in strength: 'Life-threatening' flash flooding likely across the South

Tornado warnings were issued in parts of southern Louisiana early Wednesday. The storm was forecast to gradually dissipate over central Louisiana on Thursday.

Hurricane Nicholas made landfall early Tuesday along the Matagorda Peninsula with torrential rains and storm surge. The cleanup was in full swing in Texas, where more than 14 inches of rain fell on parts of the Galveston area. Houston was hit with 6 inches, and the city set up cooling and phone charging centers in areas where power outages dragged on.

Earlier, first responders joined with members of the National Guard in rescuing people from flooded homes.

"Texas has deployed swift-water boats, helicopters and high profile vehicles to help local authorities with rescue efforts arising from flooding and high winds," Gov. Greg Abbot said Tuesday. "Emergency shelters have been set up for residents who might be displaced."

Contributing: The Associated Press

More:Ida is among strongest hurricanes to ever hit the US. But it could have been worse.

Winter storm: Snow and ice cover New England as Midwest digs out ...

CNN —

Nearly 40 million people remain under weather watches and warnings in the Northeast, down from 85 million Friday morning, as a winter storm makes its way eastward.

Snow fell across much of New York state, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine, with freezing rain and ice causing treacherous travel to the south in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The precipitation is expected to end Friday evening.

In the wake of the storm, more than 3,800 flights were canceled Friday, with several hundred canceled for Saturday, according to the tracking website FlightAware. About 260,000 customers are without power, stretching from Tennessee to Maine, according to PowerOutage.us.

At least seven people are dead across the country, including two in New Mexico, with others reported in Oklahoma, Missouri, Tennessee, Massachusetts, and in Alabama during what forecasters determined was a likely tornado.

More than 3 feet of snow piled up in one part of New Mexico. In the Midwest, more than a foot of snow fell across several states, with some areas in the Chicago metro area experiencing as many as 11 inches, forecasters said.

The expansive weather system – which spanned about 2,000 miles from the Rockies to New England – also created an ice storm that brought dangerous conditions from Arkansas through Ohio.

Crews from the New Hampshire Department of Transportation remove debris from a fallen tree near Chesterfield on Friday, February 4. Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer/AP A pedestrian walks through steam on a rainy day in New York City on February 4. Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images Three men work to push a car up a driveway in Columbus, Ohio. Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch/USA Today Network Plows clear snow and ice from Interstate 93 in Hooksett, New Hampshire, on February 4. Joseph Prezioso/AFP/Getty Images Edward Caldwell works to clear a downed tree at his mother's house in Memphis, Tennessee, on Thursday, February 3. Brad Vest/Getty Images A snow plow travels down Interstate 64 in Louisville, Kentucky, on February 3. Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images St. Louis police officers Eric Moran, left, and Scott Christian help a motorist who was stuck in snow at a highway exit on February 3. David Carson/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP The Texas Capitol is enshrouded by steam on February 3. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman/USA Today Network Parents and their children walk together after school in Erie, Pennsylvania, on February 3. Greg Wohlford/Erie Times-News via AP Jacquayla Fields and her mother, Tiffany Thomas, stand beneath the damaged front porch of a house belonging to Thomas' uncle after a tornado struck Hale County, Alabama, on February 3. No one in the house was hurt. Gary Cosby Jr./The Tuscaloosa News via AP Ice accumulates on a cactus in Austin, Texas, on February 3. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman/USA Today Network Snow covers a limestone statue of Jesus Christ at the summit of Mount Cristo Rey in Sunland Park, New Mexico. Omar Ornelas/USA Today Network/Reuters A police officer assists a truck driver on Interstate 20 in Abilene, Texas. Ronald W. Erdrich/The Abilene Reporter-News via AP A person walks by a statue of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Rev. Theodore Hesburgh in South Bend, Indiana, on Wednesday, February 2. Robert Franklin/South Bend Tribune via AP Salvation Army Maj. Luis Melendez inspects beds at the Mabee Red Shield Lodge in Odessa, Texas, as the shelter prepared to open as an emergency shelter on February 2. Eli Hartman/Odessa American via AP A pickup truck needs to be pulled out after sliding into the median of Interstate 70 near Columbia, Missouri. Don Shrubshell/Columbia Daily Tribune via AP Cory Pacheco uses a snow blower to clear out his driveway in Flint, Michigan. Jake May/MLive.com/The Flint Journal via AP A snow plow clears a road in Columbus, Ohio. Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch/USA Today Network Ice begins to form on a Texas flag in San Antonio. Eric Gay/AP Motorists navigate Interstate 90 in Chicago on February 2. Charles Rex Arbogast/AP A pedestrian crosses a nearly empty road in Detroit. Matthew Hatcher/Bloomberg/Getty Images Salt is spread on the sidewalks in downtown Indianapolis. Grace Hollars/IndyStar/USA Today Network A man clears snow at his home in Overland Park, Kansas. Charlie Riedel/AP People try to help a motorist who was stuck in the snow in Oklahoma City. Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman/USA Today Network In pictures: Winter storm threatens millions across US Prev Next

Tennessee is still dealing with more than 100,000 power outages after ice storms and threats of flooding.

In Texas, more than 10,000 homes and businesses were in the dark as of Friday afternoon.

The state’s power grid is under scrutiny following last year’s disastrous ice and snow storms that left thousands freezing due to power outages. This time, state leaders asserted the grid was prepared to handle the storm.

Gov. Greg Abbott said in a Thursday briefing the grid has “plenty of power available at this time,” calling the weather “one of the most significant icing events that we’ve had in the state of Texas in at least several decades.”

The storm’s path as it heads Northeast

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul urged residents to stay home because of ice on the roads.

“This storm is throwing everything at us – we have snow, we have freezing rain, we have sleet, we have icy roads,” Hochul said. “Our best advice is just to stay off the roads. They’re absolutely hazardous.”

The governor said most of the severe weather activity is expected to abate by Friday evening. “But, until then, it’s going to be literally a day full of freezing rain coming down,” she said.

New York City and Boston are under a winter weather advisory through Friday evening for freezing rain and sleet, respectively. Both cities, hit hard by heavy snow during last week’s powerful nor’easter, could experience ice piling up to a tenth of an inch. Parts of northeastern New Jersey are expected to see similar conditions.

The dangerous road conditions are expected to make travel difficult Friday, the NWS said, as it warned that power outages are also possible.

Ice projections are higher in Providence, Rhode Island, and sleet may pile up to a tenth of an inch.

“The interior parts of New England will mainly see snowfall, with northeast New York, northern Vermont, northern New Hampshire, and much of Maine will see over a foot of additional snowfall,” CNN meteorologist Robert Shackelford said.

Rochester, New York, had already experienced 10 inches of snowfall, with the possibility of another 4 to 8 inches.

A man works to clear a downed tree on February 3 in Memphis, Tennessee. Brad Vest/Getty Images

Rain and snowfall records broken

“Widespread wind chills in Texas should be as low as -5, but some reports are coming in of wind chills as low as -15,” Shackelford said.

Gov. Abbott ensured Texans once again on Friday that the power supply will not run out.

The grid hit its peak demand at 69,000 megawatts Friday morning; however, the system now has an excess of 17,000 megawatts – enough power to supply 3 million homes across the state, he said during a briefing. This is expected to last at least through Friday and Saturday.

“The Texas electric grid is more reliable and more resilient than it has ever been,” Abbott said.

State officials at the news conference asked motorists to stay off the road because the ice is “stubborn” in many areas and black ice still remains an issue.

Since the icing began, state troopers have responded to more than 416 crashes that resulted in 49 serious injuries and three deaths, officials said.

The treacherous ice conditions in Texas have turned a stretch of I-10 near the city of Kerrville, which is northwest of San Antonio, into a parking lot, with a miles-long line of vehicles waiting for hours for two crashes to be cleared up.

Overnight, two separate 18-wheelers jackknifed on I-10, one near mile marker 501 eastbound and another near mile marker 513 westbound, due to ice on the road, William B. Thomas, Emergency Coordinator for Kerr County told CNN.

There were notable records set on Thursday:

Dallas broke its daily record of snowfall, with a total of 1.5 inches – surpassing the previous record of .2 set in 1956 and 2011

North Little Rock, Arkansas, got 3.2 inches of snow – a daily record, blowing past the previous one of .1 inch set in 1980

Indianapolis saw a record snowfall of 7.3 inches, breaking the 6.5 inches that fell in 1982

Louisville, Kentucky, got rainfall of 1.51 inches, beating 1.29 inches set in 1887

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, tied its rainfall record of 1.02 inches that was set in 1939

Flags fly over car dealerships as light traffic moves through snow and ice on Route 183 in Irving, Texas, on February 3. John Moore/Getty Images

Storm brings heavy rain, ice, tornado concerns and travel havoc

The steady rainfall led to flash flood warnings or flood watches in parts of Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee.

In Alabama, there were tornado watches in 14 counties, and the National Weather Service said it observed a tornado in Elmore County in east-central Alabama.

One person died in what the weather service called a “likely tornado” in Hale County, Alabama, county Emergency Management Director Russell Weeden told CNN affiliate WVTM. Several other people were also injured in that incident, he said.

The other two reported storm-related deaths were in New Mexico. One person died when a vehicle slid off a snow-covered road and flipped over 100 feet down a mountain in Bernalillo County, while a man was killed in a chain-reaction crash on Interstate 40 in Guadalupe County, officials said.

More severe weather: Thunderstorms in Texas; snow in Wisconsin

Severe weather is expected on Easter weekend in Southern states like Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee.

Texas was taking the brunt of harsh storms on Thursday. Lightning struck a major gas line and exploded it near Adkins, just east of San Antonio, according to Fox San Antonio, forcing the evacuation of some residents from their homes. More than 31,800 customers were without power late Thursday night in Texas, according to poweroutage.us.

"There is still going to be some showers and thunderstorms across southern Western Texas (on Friday) that will ramp up as the storm system moves out into the plains Sunday," AccuWeather meteorologist Michael Leseney told USA TODAY.

The storm system is also poised to dump up to a foot of snow on parts of northern New England on Friday. The strongest storms will likely be on Monday, with potentially heavy snow across Wisconsin, in Michigan's upper peninsula and into Iowa, Leseney said.

The science of the storm:How a 2% tornado risk turned into seven twisters that killed 25 people and leveled thousands of buildings

More than 285,600 customers were without power Thursday evening, primarily in Maine, Texas and Louisiana, according to poweroutage.us.

Parts of Indiana and Arkansas felt the force of the storm system early Thursday as it moved eastward, bringing strong winds, rain and hail across the Midwest.

In parts of downtown Mooresville, in central Indiana, streets were strewn with bricks and debris after high wind — possibly a tornado — knocked down the second story of a vacant building, The Mooresville Decatur-Times reports.

Indiana’s stay-at-home order amid the coronavirus pandemic likely kept people out of danger as the storms moved through, said Division Chief John Robinson of the Mooresville Fire Department.

“We have some small restaurants downtown here and folks would be in those under normal circumstances. Luckily, because of the virus, everyone was gone. Honestly, that’s sort of a blessing,” Robinson told WXIN-TV.

What's in store for hurricane season 2020:Forecasters expect 'above average' storm activity.

The storms, at one point, had knocked out power to more than 100,000 utility customers in central and southern Indiana.

In Harrisburg, Arkansas, about 105 miles northeast of Little Rock, more than 30 homes were damaged and two people were injured, Jonesboro TV station KAIT reported. Officials were working to confirm whether a tornado caused the damage.

Snow in New England

The heavy snowstorm bearing down on Maine, and parts of northern New England, began with a mix of rain and snow Thursday afternoon, changing to snow as a push of colder air arrives, according to AccuWeather.

“Similar to the pattern from this past winter, Maine and portions of eastern Canada will bear the brunt of snowfall from this storm,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Renee Duff said.

Contributing: Lance Gideon, The Mooresville Decatur-Times; The Associated Press

Kansas begins to assess damage after windstorm, severe weather

Ongoing live coverage of Wednesday's windstorm can be found in this article. Thank you.

Over 108,000 Evergy customers remain without power, officials said Wednesday night, and it is expected to be a multi-day effort to restore service to areas without service.

Chuck Caisley, senior vice president and chief customer officer for Evergy, said in a press conference that, at the storms' peak, over 200,000 residents in the company's service area were without power.

The storms, he said, produced gusts of up to 85 miles-per-hour, golf ball-sized hail and severe thunderstorms across central and eastern Kansas.

"All of this created some of the most widespread damage across our service territory that Evergy has ever seen," Caisley said.

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Kansas map: Rolling storm damage reports in Kansas

Evergy says it's facing a multi-day restoration of power

Over 1,100 workers, including contractors, are assessing damage and beginning to make repairs, though Caisley said that the company was still in the process of determining how to respond to the situation. Requests for assistance from utility crews in Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and Colorado had been made as well.

Residents should not expect service to be restored by Thursday morning, or even by the end of the day Thursday, he said.

"This is absolutely going to be a multi-day restoration," Caisley said.

High wind warning to end by 9 p.m. for Topeka

A high wind warning for Topeka and surrounding areas is set to end by 9 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. Winds have calmed considerably in central and eastern Kansas, as the storms move out of the state to the northeast.

Dust and smoke from Kansas wildfires and windstorm affecting Iowa

Wednesday's storm moved north and has carried dust and smoke from wildfires in central Kansas into Iowa. The National Weather Service is urging people to stay inside.

Officials begin to assess storm damage; Topeka's Frito-Lay sustains damages

Local counties say they are beginning to evaluate the extent of the storm damage from high winds.

Shawnee County Emergency Management Director Dusty Nichols said staff were beginning to evaluate potential damage in Topeka and surrounding areas.

That includes potential damage to the Frito Lay plant in south Topeka. Images show part of the siding damaged.

"Just hearing reports of damage consistent with the winds. Trees, limbs, power outages, etc.," Nichols said in a text message.

Similar work was underway in other surrounding counties. The Wabaunsee County Sheriff's office said most of the reports in the area were related to downed power lines.

In Pottawatomie County, Sheriff Shane Jager said a car had been blown over and there was light structural damage being reported.

"We've had a lot of reported stuff -- right now we're trying to assess," Jager said.

Smoke smell from central Kansas fires

Residents in eastern and central Kansas reported smelling strong odors of smoke, which officials say is due to fires in Ellis and Russell counties being blown by the remaining strong gusts.

It should not be cause for concern, they say.

Interstate 70 reopens in both directions

As of roughly 5:40 p.m. Interstate 70 has been reopened in both directions, the Kansas Department of Transportation said.

The interstate had been closed for much of the day in central and western Kansas due to high winds and low visibility.

Motorists should continue to exercise caution, officials say, and other local roads may still be closed.

More:Roads closed due to high winds, dust storms blowing through Kansas on Wednesday

Severe thunderstorm warnings in effect for Topeka area

The National Weather Service has severe thunderstorm warnings that remain in effect for the following counties: Shawnee, Jefferson, Brown, Lyon, Douglas, Osage, eastern Jackson, western Coffey, northern Franklin, southeast Wabaunsee, northeast Lyon.

Earlier, the weather service issued severe thunderstorm warnings in effect for the following Kansas areas: Jefferson County, Brown County, Lyon County, eastern Jackson County, northeast Shawnee County, western Coffey County and southern Osage County.

100-mph wind gust recorded

A 100-mph wind gust was recorded at 3:48 p.m. Wednesday at the airport at Russell, according to the weather service. Trees were uprooted and roofs reported blown off in that area.

94-mph wind gust recorded

A 94-mph wind gust was recorded at 3:56 p.m. Wednesday at Grandview Junction, near Junction City in Geary County, according to the National Weather Service. The storm had passed through Junction City minutes earlier. damaging hangars at the airport, tearing siding off buildings and bending metal signs.

Tornado warnings issued for 2 northeast counties

The National Weather Service at 4:10 p.m. Wednesday issued a tornado warning lasting until 4:30 p.m. for northeast Wabaunsee County and south-central Nemaha County, both in northeast Kansas.

It indicated a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near Onaga in Pottawatomie County and moving northeast at 65 mph.

The warning was allowed to expire at 4:30 p.m.

Governor issues inclement weather declaration

Gov. Laura Kelly issued an inclement weather declaration shortly after 3 p.m. for Shawnee County, as windstorms move eastward across the state.

The order effectively closes state offices, sending non-essential personnel home. Many were already working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It only applies to executive branch agencies, not the judicial and legislative branch or Kansas Board of Regents universities.

Dust storms reduce visibility

The National Weather Service in Wichita warned just after 1 p.m. that dust storms were beginning to impact Barton and Russell counties with reduced visibilities.

The dust, stirred up by sustained winds for 35 to 45 mph and gusts reported of up to 75 mph, were expected to reduce visibility to less than a quarter mile.

Hutchinson feels the brunt of the storm about 4 p.m.

The brunt of Wednesday’s storm appeared to strike Hutchinson and central Kansas between 4 and 5 p.m. in which power outages around shot up from 48, impacting about 500 customers, to more than 455 outages affecting more than 5,700 customers.

By 5:15, the number had climbed to 672 outages, with some 7,835 customers in the dark, including several businesses.

That included several businesses around town.

Emergency personnel were responding to snapped power poles and downed lines all across the region.

Apple Lane was closed from 17th to 21st avenue due to downed power lines.

The down lines sparked at least grass fires, the largest near the Hutchinson Airport, but others along K-96, in front of Kutter’s Furniture, another on K-14 at Arlington, and one at West Fourth Avenue and Sego Road.

Emergency responders were dispatched to trees on houses at 2 N. Moore in Nickerson, 1702 Kansas Avenue, 1205 Arthur Street, 3701 N. Walnut, and 2511 E. Fourth. No injuries were reported, though officials indicated.

A structural collapse was also reported just after 5 p.m. at Collins Bus, in South Hutchinson, but no additional details were immediately available.

Earlier in the day, a semi was blown over on U.S. 50 mear Scott Boulevard.

Blowing dust, meanwhile, shut down numerous highways in the area west of Hutchinson, according to the Kansas Department of Transportation.

That included K-4 between Olmitz and K-46, U.S. 50 from Alexander to Windom, K-156 from Great Bend to Holyrood, and U.S. 56 from Kinsley to Great Bend.

Most of the roads had reopened by 5:30 p.m.

Semi trucks blown over

Semis had been blown over at least four locations in north-central Kansas, according to Trooper Ben Gardner of the Kansas Highway Patrol.

Another semitrailer had been blown over and a large, healthy evergreen tree had been snapped on half, all along Interstate Highway 70 in northwest Kansas, according to the National Weather Service's Goodland office.

The 84 mph gust was recorded at 11:33 a.m. near Garden City. It came after 107 mph winds were recorded at 9:42 a.m. at Lamar in southeast Colorado, which is about 36 miles from Coolidge, Kansas.

The weather service issued dust storm warnings for parts of northwest Kansas.

More:Three earthquakes shake Kansas on Wednesday, one temblor recorded Tuesday night

Gov. Kelly: 'We are prepared' for severe weather in Kansas

Gov. Laura Kelly said the winds were a concern and she was glad "our folks are on it.

Kelly added: "Our emergency management people are out, interacting with our communities and making sure, if some needs arise, they will be able to respond. I, like everybody else, recognize this is Kansas and we deal with interesting weather on a regular basis and we are prepared in the event something does happen."

Most commercial airlines unaffected by storms

Winds would have to get pretty high before commercial airlines would stop flying in and out of Kansas. Each commercial airline decides on their own as to what weather to fly in, said Valerie Wise, the marketing manager at Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport – Wichita.

In addition to high winds, the type of airplane or the direction of the runway is crucial to the airline’s decision as to whether to fly. Most airports, like Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport in Wichita, have runways that can facilitate winds heading in different directions.

But smaller airports, like city-owned Col. James Jabara Airport, has runways that run north and south, said Andy Arnold, the general manager of Midwest Corporate Aviation, which works out of the airport.

“If the wind was straight north or straight down south, we would still operate all day long,” Arnold said. “Around four or five o'clock this afternoon, it'd be 50 miles an hour straight from the west.”

Although the airport will not officially close, he said, because of the direction of the runway, most pilots will opt out of flying in.

“We're kind of just battening down the hatches and waiting it out,” Arnold said.

Also, most of the flight schools, he said, have already cancelled their flights, as have pilots with smaller planes. The airport is still open for whoever needs them, he said, and several commercial flights are still expected this afternoon, including one from Miami.

People urged to stay inside, avoid travel

Forecasters recommend people avoid being outside in forested areas and around trees and branches.

"If possible, remain in the lower levels of your home during the windstorm, and avoid windows," the wind warning said. "Use caution if you must drive. Secure loose objects or shelter objects in a safe location prior to the onset of winds."

Blowing dust will be possible and would reduce visibilities, making travel hazardous, the weather service said. Visibilities may drop to under one mile at times.

At 10:55 a.m., blowing dust associated with high winds had reduced visibility to less than one mile in some locations west of a line between Garden City and Liberal, the weather service's Dodge City office said in a Twitter tweet.

Wind already blowing Wednesday morning

"STRONG wind = No Trooper hat," Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Ben Gardner posted Wednesday morning on Twitter. "Drive safe everyone!"

More:High wind warning issued for Wednesday across Kansas. Gusts may hit 70 mph with record high temperatures.

Topeka breaks high temperature record for date

Topeka temperatures had officially reached 73 degrees as of noon Wednesday, breaking the capital city's previous record high for Dec. 15 of 70, set in 2002.

The city's record high for December is 77, set on Dec. 6, 1939, said Matt Flanagan, a meteorologist for that office.

Wind threat forces cancellation of school in southwest Kansas

School was canceled for the day because of the high wind threat at Liberal USD 480 in southwest Kansas.


Lunar New Year 2021: COVID-19 celebrations in Year of the Ox

Say goodbye to the Year of the Rat and hello to the Year of the Ox.

Lunar New Year – also known as the Chinese New Year or Spring Festival – began Friday, ushering in the second animal on the Zodiac with the second new moon after the winter solstice.

Though the occasion is meant to be spent with family and friends, the coronavirus pandemic means that celebrations around the world – from the United States to Britain to China – will look different this year for the 1.5 billion people who observe the occasion.

Here's what to know about the holiday and what may change with COVID-19:

What does Lunar New Year signify?

The new year is a chance to start fresh, see loved ones and share in the hope of good things to come.

Vickie Lee, author of the children’s book “Ruby’s Chinese New Year,” told USA TODAY last year that Lunar New Year as "the most important and the most popular holiday for Chinese people and in the Chinese culture."

"It’s a very joyful holiday (when) you’re supposed to go home, see your family," she said. "In China, they celebrate it for two full weeks, and people actually travel home and from far, far away."

Zhaojin Zeng, a professor of East Asian history at the University of Pittsburgh, compared the occasion to Thanksgiving in America, emphasizing the importance of time spent with family.

When does Chinese New Year start?

Because the holiday is tied to the year's first new moon, the timing will vary. It can fall in January or early February, Lee told USA TODAY.

In China, the festival lasts 15 days, starting with a feast the night of New Year's Eve and ending this year with the Spring Lantern Festival on Feb. 26. Vietnam's Tết Nguyên Đán goes for up to a week, and Lunar New Year in South Korea, known as Seollal, runs for three days.

Why does the Lunar New Year fall on different days?

There are differences between the solar-lunar and Gregorain calendar, which the United States follows. The Gregorian calendar is based on the Earth's cycle orbiting the sun, while the solar-lunar combines that with the moon's cycle orbiting the earth.

In major U.S. cities such as Los Angeles, New York City and San Francisco, events celebrating the new year take place in the weeks before and after the first day of the lunar year.

The Lunar New Year typically falls between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20. Next year, the celebration will begin Tuesday, Feb. 1.

How is the Lunar New Year celebrated?

In addition to cleaning one's home and adorning it with red banners, artwork and flowers, a priority in preparing for the holiday is making meals, Lee said.

"This holiday, like so many holidays in other cultures, is centered around food. So there’s several days of preparation where you’re making ... very sort of symbolic dishes like a whole fish," she said. "A whole fish symbolizes prosperity."

She also said dumplings (symbolizing wealth) will be present, along with noodles (representing longevity).

2021 is the Year of the Ox. What does it represent?

Feb. 12 marks the first day of the xin chou year, or Year of the Metal Ox under the Lunar New Year sexagenary cycle.

Hong Kong-based feng shui master Thierry Chow told CNN that the ox is a hardworking zodiac sign that signifies movement.

"So, hopefully, the world will be less static than last year and get moving again in the second half of the year," she said.

She added that the metal element of the year represents an emphasis on metal industries in 2021, from jewelry to "the needle of a syringe."

How are people celebrating Chinese New Year in a pandemic?

While celebrations typically vary around the world, they will be especially different this year as the pandemic forces people to stay at home.

In New Jersey, where Asian Americans account for 10% of the state's 8.9 million people, those who mark the day are arranging everything from drive-thru celebratory meals to Zoom performances to ensure that this year will be one to remember.

"We're helping to bring normal to not a normal year," said Yoon Kim, director of the Korean American Association of New Jersey. The organization will distribute food at a drive-by event and will host a food drive this weekend.

Entering the Year of the Ox:Finding inspiration for small business in the Chinese New Year

And in Arizona, organizers of Phoenix's Chinese Week said last year that they would not go forward with any in-person celebrations for the Lunar New Year. Instead, elements of the festival will be accessible online.

At bus and train stations in China, there is no sign of the annual Lunar New Year rush. The government has called on the public to avoid travel because of new coronavirus outbreaks. The South China Morning Post reported that Hong Kong’s annual Lunar New Year night parade will be replaced by an online shopping event.

Despite that, the government says people will make 1.7 billion trips during the holiday, but that is down 40% from 2019.

Contributing: Mary Chao, The Record; KiMi Robinson, Arizona Republic; The Associated Press

Photos: Lunar New Year 2022 | CNN

People visit a lantern fair to celebrate the Lunar New Year in Luoyang, China, on Tuesday, February 1.

The coronavirus pandemic has once again impacted the way people will be celebrating Lunar New Year, the most important holiday in the Chinese zodiac calendar.

In many cities, public festivities have been pared down or canceled. But millions of families around the world will still be celebrating.

The 15-day festival began on Tuesday, February 1. This is the Year of the Tiger.

Lunar New Year: East Asians in NJ adapt holiday to COVID pandemic

PALISADES PARK — It's been a most unusual year, with the coronavirus pandemic shutting down large-scale events. With the Lunar New Year holidays just around the corner, Asian Americans in North Jersey are getting creative when it comes to celebrating safely.

From drive-thru celebratory meals to Zoom performances, New Jerseyans are ensuring that the Year of the Ox that arrives on Friday, Feb. 12, will be one to remember.

"We want to carry on our traditions," said Margaret Lam of Montville, founder of the Northern New Jersey Chinese Association.

Story continues below the gallery.

Lunar New Year, known in China as Chinese New Year or the Spring Festival, marks the first new moon of the lunar calendar followed by many East Asian cultures, including the Chinese, Taiwanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai and Cambodians. It falls annually between mid-January and mid-February.

For those who celebrate, it's the biggest holiday of the year, marked by 15 days of festivities.

In New Jersey, Asian Americans account for 10% of the state's 8.9 million people. In towns such as Fort Lee and Leonia in Bergen County, their share is even higher, accounting for more than 40% of the residents.

The Korean American Association of New Jersey, based in Palisades Park, is planning a Lunar New Year celebration in a socially distant manner. Members will distribute traditional Korean rice cakes called Duk Gook, a celebratory food for the new year, in a drive-by event at St. Michael's Church at 19 E. Central Blvd. in Palisades Park. There will be 500 rice cakes with broth kits available from 3 to 5 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 11, that will serve up to 2,500 people. The kits are free to anyone on a first come, first served basis.

"We're helping to bring normal to not a normal year," said Yoon Kim, director of KAANJ.

Lunar New Year:Celebrate the Year of the Ox with these eight lucky Chinese New Year dishes

Sanmao:A generation of Asian women grew up reading Sanmao. Now she's having her moment in America

Because there is so much need during the pandemic, the Korean American organization is also hosting a food drive on Saturday, March. 13, at its office at 21 Grand Ave. in Palisades Park and at American Legion Post 170 at 33 W. Passaic St. in Rochelle Park. The goal is to feed 300 families in New Jersey with staples such as chicken, eggs, milk, bananas and pasta, said Michelle Song, the KAANJ organizer of the drive.

Others will celebrate at home to be safe. Lam, 80, will ring in the new year at her Montville home with her husband, David Wen. With the coronavirus still present, Lam feels it's the right thing to do instead of inviting family and friends over.

For her organization of more than 150 Chinese families, traditional performances were staged via Zoom, with children singing, playing a musical instrument or dancing. The Zoom extravaganza was held just before the Super Bowl on Sunday.

While the celebrations will be subdued this year, there are traditions that will still be followed. Just like New Year's Day in the U.S., the celebratory period is a time to wear new clothes. Old debts are paid off to start the year fresh. Superstition also has it that you shouldn't cut your hair or sweep the floors during the beginning of the New Year season or you'll cut or sweep away your luck.

Getting "hong bao," a red envelope, is a tradition that children look forward to every year. Instead of presents, children, including young adults who are unmarried, receive money stuffed into these envelopes. The cash always comes in crisp new bills and in amounts that correspond to lucky numbers in Chinese culture, such as eight.

The money never comes in multiples of four; that's an unlucky number because the Chinese word for "four" sounds similar to that for death.

The Chinese zodiac, adopted by other Asian countries, is a 12-year cycle with different animals. In Chinese astrology, the animal signs represent what your personality may be. According to Asian folklore, people born in the Year of the Ox are strong, reliable, fair and conscientious, inspiring confidence in others. They are also said to be calm, patient, methodical and trustworthy.

Although the pandemic is limiting celebrations this year, there are still ways to safely ring in the new year with virtual events throughout North Jersey:

• Fort Lee Library online Lunar New Year. Feb. 12, noon to 2 p.m.

The library is hosting a day filled with virtual activities and performances from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be cooking classes, story time and cultural performances on the library's YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTHKR2i8Uog. More information is available at fortleelibrary.org.

• Newark Library Zoom dumpling class. Feb. 13, 3 p.m.

Celebrate Lunar New Year by learning how to make homemade dumplings with the Newark Public Library-Springfield Branch and Greater Newark Conservancy.

Participants can pick up a dumpling kit from the Greater Newark Conservancy, 32 Prince St., with wrappers and Newark-grown vegetables. Registration is required at https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYpcuurrz0pHNQo2N-ALPqL_W88S2GD9WRh.

• Montclair Library author talk. Feb. 13, 5 to 5:45 p.m.

Tina Cho, author of the book "Korean Celebrations," will share how Lunar New Year is celebrated in Korea in this special cultural program for families.

Cho will discuss traditional clothes, bowing for blessings and the special foods, gifts and games associated with the holiday. Children will also make their own Yut-nori game. Registration is required at https://montclairlibrary.libnet.info/event/4798425.

Mary Chao 趙 慶 華 covers the Asian community, real estate and small business for NorthJersey.com. To get unlimited access to the latest news out of North Jersey, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: mchao@northjersey.com