January 9, 2024 - Winter storm slams central and eastern US

A driver was found dead on a Georgia highway Tuesday morning after a tree fell and crushed the vehicle’s front windshield during severe weather.

The Clayton County Police Department told CNN that weather appears to be a factor in the death.

Officers responded to Highway 54 in Jonesboro at 9:48 a.m. ET and found a tree on top of a white four-door sedan with one occupant inside, according to a CCPD media advisory.

The tree had fallen on the vehicle while it was traveling eastbound on the highway, the advisory states.

Once emergency services arrived, the driver was declared dead.

A hazardous weather outlook and wind warning were issued for Jonesboro on Tuesday, including Clayton County, according to the National Weather Service. 

The South Carolina Highway Patrol is reporting “significant damage” from a potential tornado within the city limits of Bamberg, 60 miles south of Columbia, according to Lance Cpl. Brittany Glover.

 The “fast-moving” storm caused the Old City Hall to collapse, according to Robin Chavis, the city clerk-treasurer. The century-old building was unoccupied when it suffered the damage.

First responders are working on a plan to clear roads and debris from the affected area, according to Chavis.

In downtown Bamberg, a stretch of businesses experienced significant damage, including an antique store that partially collapsed, according to Glover. Pictures show the roof torn off with bricks blown all over the roadway.

A large portion of South Carolina Oak to Barrel, a wine and whiskey barrel manufacturer, also collapsed on Main Street, according to Glover. A picture she took of the damage shows rows of oak barrels exposed to the elements.

A tree also fell on top of an empty house in Bamberg, Glover said.

Glover says there were no reports of injuries as of Tuesday afternoon.

Highway 301 is currently blocked in the city's downtown area, as the Department of Transportation is working to set up a detour, Glover said.

One person died Tuesday in Birmingham, Alabama, after a tree fell on their vehicle, according to Birmingham Fire and Rescue Captain Orlando Reynolds.

Rescue crews responded to the scene around 10:47 a.m. local time, he said, adding the person was found dead in the car with the tree still on top of it.

No other injuries were reported, he added.

According to CNN Weather, Birmingham had over 2 inches of rain saturating the ground and winds gusting over 30 mph on Tuesday.

CNN has reported at least four deaths to Tuesday’s storm system. Two in Alabama, one in Georgia and one in North Carolina. 

 CNN has reached out to the Jefferson County coroner for more information.

State law enforcement in Nebraska responded to hundreds of weather-related incidents as a winter storm swept through the state creating whiteout conditions.

On a good note, Interstate 80 reopened after being closed for some time during the storm.

“I-80 is now OPEN border to border. Thanks to @NebraskaDOT for their hard work to prepare the road for safe travel,” the state patrol said Tuesday afternoon.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has issued an Operating Conditions Notice for a predicted winter storm event that could impact the state of Texas next week. 

“The OCN – Operating Conditions Notice was issued for predicted extreme cold weather event for the ERCOT Region Monday, January 15, 2024, through Wednesday, January 17, 2024,” ERCOT told CNN on Tuesday.

 ERCOT is the system operator that is responsible for 90% of the state’s electricity. 

The OCN is defined by the ERCOT as “the first of four levels of communication issued by ERCOT in anticipation of a possible Emergency Condition," according to its website.

The "strongest front" of the winter season is expected to move into the Austin and San Antonio areas on Sunday evening, with temperatures quickly dropping into the 20s and 30s from Sunday night into Monday, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) Austin/San Antonio. However, it's still "too early to have a strong idea" about potential precipitation arriving with the cold front, the NWS said.

The NWS based in Fort Worth and Dallas said in its hazardous forecast that "very cold temperatures" are expected Sunday and Monday across north and central Texas.

"Many areas may not warm above freezing on Monday," the NWS said.

CNN Weather said the coldest air of the season is coming in early next week, but its too early to know specifics on precipitation type and threat.

Power outages continue to rise as the powerful winter storm moves east. As of 5:15 p.m. ET, there are more than 600,000 customers without power in the US, according to poweroutage.us.  

The most significant power outages continue to stretch from North Carolina to Florida due to a line of severe storms, but power outages are also increasing in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast as heavy rain and strong winds are beginning to impact those regions.

Here are the where the majority of outages are as of 5:15 p.m. ET :

An 81-year-old woman was killed in Cottonwood, Alabama, during Tuesday’s storm, according to Houston County Commission Chairman Brandon Shoupe.

Charlotte Paschal was found dead at the scene after her mobile home was flipped multiple times, Shoupe said.

 Several buildings were damaged throughout the town, Shoupe added.

Shoupe said recovery efforts could last “many, many weeks.”

Cottonwood is approximately 88 miles northwest of Tallahassee.

New York City is now bracing for winds up to 35 mph at the coast and gusts up to 70 mph during the storm, the city’s emergency management announced Tuesday afternoon.

Monday, officials said they expected up to 60 mph gusts during the storm.

The city also announced coastal flood advisories for Brooklyn, Manhattan and Staten Island Wednesday morning from 5 a.m. until 10 a.m. ET and southern Queens from 4 a.m. until 10 a.m. ET.

The Fire Department of New York maintains 111 water-trained rescue units and 143 ladder companies with chainsaws to assist with potential wind and tree events, according to the city’s emergency management. 

Mayor Eric Adams warned the high wind gusts could be very dangerous.

More than 1,000 flights were canceled and more than 5,800 flights were delayed on Tuesday, according to data from FlightAware.  

Some of the flight cancellations are due to the grounding of the Boeing 737 Max 9. 

United Airlines told CNN it canceled 170 flights on Tuesday because of the Max grounding. 

Alaska Airlines has not said how many Tuesday cancellations are due to the Max but, said the airline has canceled between 140 and 170 flights daily since the Federal Aviation Administration-mandated grounding, pending inspections of the planes.  

Orlando International Airport and Tampa International now have FAA ground stops for arriving flights due to thunderstorms. Flights arriving at LaGuardia Airport in New York are delayed more than an hour due to wind.

Citing thunderstorms, the FAA ordered a broad hold on Charlotte-bound departures that applies to airports from Texas to Indiana and Miami to Washington, D.C.  

Earlier in the day, the FAA also held flights bound for Atlanta – the world’s busiest airport – and Dallas Fort Worth. The FAA also warns of Tuesday afternoon and evening disruptions along the East Coast, from Florida to New York. It has closed some flight routes due to thunderstorms, causing it to hold some Florida-bound flights.

On the nation’s rails, Amtrak has canceled multiple East Coast trains for Tuesday and Wednesday. The agency has either canceled or shortened the routes for more than 17 Acela, Northeast Regional and Keystone (Pennsylvania) trains on Tuesday and Wednesday.