A powerful winter storm that slammed the Southeast over the weekend was moving north Monday, causing widespread power outages and covering roads in a mix of snow and ice.
The storm pounded Interstate 90 in western Pennsylvania as its triple punch of heavy snow, whipping winds and freezing rain headed into the Northeast. It also created chaos for cars on North Carolina’s highways, including in Durham, where crews worked late into the night to remove a tractor trailer that flipped above an overpass. The driver was taken to the hospital.
Meanwhile, in neighboring Virginia, the treacherous snow and ice wreaked havoc on truck drivers attempting to navigate the highways, forcing some to abandon their vehicles.
Power outages added to the misery. As of Monday morning, more than 125,000 customers were in the dark in Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and West Virginia, according to the website PowerOutages.us.
The messy weather comes on a day when many Americans are trying to get home from a three-day holiday weekend. As the system moves north, Pittsburgh could see more than a foot of snow and some parts of New York could see 2 to 3 inches of snow falling every hour.
Parts of Pennsylvania are under a winter storm warning until noon on Monday. In New Jersey, a gale warning has been posted for the entire Jersey Shore line, and the governor warned the wind could bring down power lines and plunge millions into darkness.
In southwest Florida, there was no snow, but multiple tornadoes ripped through neighborhoods, leaving behind a trail of destruction, though no deaths.
“I said to the devil… ‘Today ain’t the day. You’re not going to get me,'” Fort Myers, Florida resident Edward Murray said. “And thank God that the fire department, the EMS and the neighbors all made that come true.”
As the dangerous storm works its way to Vermont and into Canada, officials are advising people to just stay home if they can.
Meteorologist Chris Warren of The Weather Channel said blasting winds and minor to moderate flooding are expected on the East Coast.
“That’s what you can expect throughout the day,” he told “CBS Mornings.” “A lot of heavy snow, travel delays both on the ground with winter travel, flight delays and a lot of power outages.”
