Weather forecast: US storms bring power outages and tornadoes to east coast | CNN

Severe storms move across US

By Fernando Alfonso III, CNN
Updated 7:50 AM EST, Sun January 12, 2020
The sun rises above snow covered trees at Martins Mill Bridge Park in Antrim Township, Pa., Wednesday, January 8, 2020. A winter storm brought over three inches of snow to the area Tuesday causing weather-related delays and cancellations. (Colleen McGrath/The Herald-Mail via AP)
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Video shows aftermath of deadly storm system
2:58 • Source: CNN
The sun rises above snow covered trees at Martins Mill Bridge Park in Antrim Township, Pa., Wednesday, January 8, 2020. A winter storm brought over three inches of snow to the area Tuesday causing weather-related delays and cancellations. (Colleen McGrath/The Herald-Mail via AP)
2:58

What you need to know

  • The latest: At least 8 people have died as a result of severe storms barreling through the eastern half of the US.
  • Severe weather: A dangerous triple threat storm has already produced several tornadoes, flooding and power outages in the region.
  • Millions affected: More than 80 million are at risk from this storm. Threats range from tornadoes and widespread damaging winds in the South and heavy snow and ice for parts of the Midwest.
  • Storm tracker: Follow the path of severe weather here

Our live coverage has ended, but you can scroll through the posts to read more.

Updates

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The storm isn't stopping these NFL fans

From CNN's Kendall Trammell
Photo Credit: WLUK

It’s bad and getting worse for parts of the Midwest, but it hasn’t stopped some football fans from enjoying the NFL playoffs.

Packers fans helped shovel snow from the bleachers in Lambeau Field ahead of Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks.

The Packers asked for volunteers to clear the snow Sunday morning. The request originally asked for about 700 volunteers, according to CNN affiliate WLUK. Based on the forecast, the team says they now need about 350.

Nearly 350,000 customers are without power across 10 states

From CNN's Hollie Silverman

Approximately 348,273 customers are without power across 10 states as of 6:50 p.m. EST as severe weather impacts several parts of the country, according to poweroutage.us.

Top Areas by Outages

  • Georgia 107,187
  • Alabama 81,480
  • Tennessee 39,369
  • Mississippi 34,403
  • West Virginia 19,995
  • Arkansas 17,901
  • Kentucky 16,230
  • Louisiana 14,222
  • Ohio 8,890
  • Texas 8,596

Photos from Memphis show "heavy damage" left after the storm

From CNN's Ryan Prior

These photos show “heavy damage” and “complete devastation” in Memphis, Tennessee. Numerous car repair shops and car lots in the area sustained significant storm damage.

More than 300,000 customers are without power across 9 states

From CNN's Hollie Silverman

Approximately 312,120 customers are without power across nine states as severe weather impacts several parts of the country, according to poweroutage.us.

Alabama, where three people have died due to storms, has the highest number of outages as of 4 p.m. EST Saturday.

Top Areas by Outages

  • Alabama 133,119
  • Mississippi 41,907
  • Kentucky 32,085
  • Louisiana 24,444
  • Tennessee 24,161
  • Arkansas 21,526
  • West Virginia 12,741
  • Texas 11,741
  • Ohio 10,396

Flights in Chicago and Atlanta are subject to ground stops and delays

From CNN's Hollie Silverman

Flights in Chicago and Atlanta are subject to ground stops and delays due to weather, according to the Federal Aviation Administration Air Traffic Control System Command Center.

In Atlanta, there is a traffic management ground stop program in effect for planes arriving at Hartsfield Jackson International Airport due to thunderstorms, the FAA website says.

Flights destined for Chicago O’Hare International airport are subject to a ground delay program due to snow and ice, the website says. 

Heavy waves on Lake Michigan shore seen in Chicago

From CNN's Ryan Prior

A video taken from Chicago’s Oak Street Beach shows how intense the storm has been on Lake Michigan this afternoon.

Storm damage seen in northern Mississippi

From CNN's Ryan Prior

​Cedar Hill Farm, a family owned and operated farm just south in Hernando, Mississippi, sustained significant property damage in the storm.

All the animals are accounted for, the farm said in a tweet this afternoon.

Snow seen in North Texas

From CNN's Ryan Prior

Some residents of North Texas got to see snow today as a giant storm makes its way across the US this weekend.

The following photo was taken this morning in a suburb just north of the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

A Texas firefighter and police officer were killed while working a crash due to icy roadways

From CNN's Melissa Alonso

A firefighter and a police officer were killed while working the scene of a crash on Interstate 27 in Lubbock, Texas this morning, according to city officials.

A second firefighter was critically injured and remains in the hospital, officials said at a press conference Saturday morning. 

Emergency responders arrived on scene of a single vehicle car accident on Interstate 27 around 8:30 a.m. CST.

While on scene, a second vehicle towing a trailer was traveling southbound when it crossed over the median, about 25 yards from the first accident, Lubbock Police Chief Floyd Mitchell said.

“While working both accidents a third vehicle traveling southbound” crossed over into struck two firefighters and one police officer, Mitchell said.

A 27-year-old male officer died at the scene, Mitchell said. The two firefighters were transported; a 39-year-old firefighter died at the hospital, Lubbock Fire Chief Shaun Fogerson said. 

“When road conditions get this bad we need to make sure that people understand they need to slow down,” Mitchell said. 

“If people would respect road conditions this never would have happened,” Fogerson said.  

Overnight snow in “Lubbock was one inch” and there were still ice encrusted walkways and roads into Saturday, according to NWS.

National Weather Service confirms three dead in Alabama following severe weather

From CNN's Shawn Nottingham

The National Weather Service in Birmingham, Alabama, confirms three people have died as a result of severe weather in Pickens County.

CNN affiliate WBMA reports that the deaths occurred near the town of Carrollton, Alabama, along Settlement Road.

Tornado warnings were in place for the area.

Trampoline pole crashes into College Station home from severe weather

From CNN's Alisha Ebrahimji

While watching movies and making some food last night, Dylan Becton, of College Station, Texas, heard a loud noise before seeing the trampoline pole that holds up the safety net came come through his roof.

Becton said he was scared but when he and his brother realized it was just the trampoline, they were relieved.

Other than the trampoline through their roof, and some downed fences, that’s all the damages the family home saw, Becton added.

Dylan Becton

High winds and lightning strikes damage two Texas state parks

From CNN's Alisha Ebrahimji

A severe storm working its way through the US has damaged two parks in Bastrop County and Smithville, Texas, according to a tweet from TX Parks & Wildlife.

TX Parks & Wildlife
TX Parks & Wildlife

Three people killed following severe storms in Louisiana

From CNN's Shawn Nottingham

At least three people have been reported dead in Louisiana after storms rolled through last night.

Cado Parish Sheriff Steve Prator says an Oil City man was killed after a tree fell on his home. The man was pronounced dead on the scene. The man’s wife, who was also at home, was uninjured. 

In a separate incident in Bossier Parish, an elderly couple was killed in a similar incident when their bodies were found near their demolished home. There were severe storms in the area of both incidents last night with tornado watches in affect.

Parts of interstate closed in Louisiana as storms move through the area

From CNN's Alta D. Spells

The Louisiana State Police report parts of Interstate 20 have been closed near Minden, Louisiana.

In a tweet the agency announced the I-20 in Webster Parish, east of Minden is closed eastbound at mile post 49 and is closed westbound at mile post 52. There are reports of downed trees and power lines on many roadways, the Louisiana State Police are asking people to avoid the area if possible. 

The Louisiana Department of Transportation in Shreveport advises that traffic congestion has reached 1 mile in both directions in the area of the interstate closure and advises motorist to take alternate routes in a tweet. 

A line of storms moved through the area Friday night into Saturday, according to the National Weather Service which mentioned the possibility of damaging straight-line winds as the primary threat with a chance of isolated tornadoes in a tweet.

Triple threat storm moves along the east coast

From CNN's Gene Norman

A level 3 out of 5, enhanced risk for severe storms is in place today into overnight for 9 million in parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama for cities like New Orleans, Jackson, Mobile and Birmingham

A slight risk, level 2 of 5, will impact 12 million people and cover parts of middle Tennessee, northern Alabama and western Georgia for cities like Nashville, Huntsville and Memphis

Multiple tornado watches are already in effect through late morning and these will be extended eastward as the storms progress

Brief tornadoes are likely to spin up along the line of storms as it moves along with damaging wind threats

Flood or flash flood watches are in effect for over 30 million people in Mississippi to the Great Lakes

By Sunday, the threat diminishes significantly, with mainly lingering rain along the mid-Atlantic

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