Monster blizzard unleashes fury on US East Coast, travel ban enforced as storm intensifies
Millions under blizzard warning as deadly storm buries communities beneath two feet of snow, bringing transport in New York City and other major metropolitan centres to standstill.
More than 40 million people are under blizzard warnings in the northeast United States, as a winter storm has dumped shin-deep snow and officials in New York enforced a citywide travel ban.
The so-called "Nor'easter" pummeled the region on Monday, disrupting flights and leaving hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses without power.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani ordered nonessential drivers off the road and shut down schools. Authorities in neighbouring New Jersey and Rhode Island issued similar travel restrictions.
Some were frustrated by the region's second major winter storm in weeks.
"I'm sick of it. I don't want to see no more snow," Vincent Greer, a resident of Wildwood, New Jersey, said as he shoveled outside his building.
The National Weather Service warned that blizzard conditions and "crippling impacts" would continue in the northeast US for much of Monday.
More than 5,500 flights in or out of the United States were canceled and hundreds more delayed, according to tracking service FlightAware.
New York's three major airports as well as Boston Logan Airport saw the most cancellations.
At least four states —Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island — had seen two feet (60 centimeters) of snow by Monday morning.
State of emergency
The storm comes weeks after the region recovered from another devastating winter weather system that was linked to more than 100 deaths.
Officials did not hold back in their public warnings ahead of the latest snowfall.
"New York City has not faced a storm of this scale in the last decade," Mayor Mamdani said on Sunday after declaring a state of emergency.
Some 15.1 inches (38 centimeters) of snow were recorded in Central Park, the most at New York City's official reporting station from a single storm in over five years.
The United Nations, which is headquartered in the city, was closed on Monday due to the storm.
"The worst is yet to come," New York Governor Kathy Hochul told a briefing, urging residents to stock up on groceries and medicines.
'Historic proportions'
In Boston, Mayor Michelle Wu warned of a storm of "historic proportions" and closed all public schools and municipal buildings.
"We ask everyone to plan ahead, stay safe and warm, and stay off the roads to help our public works and public safety efforts," Wu said.
Citing the severe weather, Boston's transit authority said on Monday that subway, bus and rail services would be limited, and ferry services canceled.
Snowplows were deployed across the northeast US Monday as officials sought to reduce prolonged disruption from the storm.
Major cities including New York, Philadelphia and Boston advertised dedicated warming centers for people caught outside in the cold.