Snowstorm 2011: Death Toll Increases; Millions Remain Without Power After Freak Storm
The rare October snowstorm that pummeled the East Coast over the weekend has continued to impact residents along the Northeast as over 1.6 million homes still remain without power.
Several deaths that occurred over the weekend have been ascribed to the storm and the death toll has risen to 13 people, many of whom died as a result of slippery roads.
Utility companies have been scrambling to get power back on for the millions of people stranded, however, people could potentially be left without services for up to a week.
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Although the storm was harsh, temperatures are expected to rise in the coming days and the snow expected to melt away.
The rare storm even caused some towns along the East Coast to delay Halloween festivities due to safety concerns as some areas were left inundated with as much as 32 inches of snow, without power, and with streets flooded with downed wires and trees that could have been hazardous to young children collecting candy.
Concerns prior to the storm were that the projected heavy snow could cause power outages and damage the trees in the region, most of which still have leaves on them.
David Graves, a spokesman for utility National Grid told Reuters that the snow was “like wet cement that just adhered to trees, branches, leaves and power lines.”
He added, “That’s what really caused the damage, the weight of that snow.”
Snow this early is in the year is truly rare, even for the frigid East Coast, and people living in the region have expressed concerns that the tough storm may mean that winter could be particularly harsh and long this year.
However, weather experts suggest that the weekend storm does not necessarily signal that coming months will be accompanied with terrible weather.
