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A winter storm hitting the United States has left millions of people without power and killed at least 20.
The rare episode of freezing weather has left power cut off, shops closed, flights canceled and schools closed across much of the country, including New England and the Deep South, with more freezing temperatures to come.
Several cities experienced record lows. Minnesota recorded -39C (-38F) and Sioux Falls in South Dakota, dropped to minus -26C (-14.8F). Omaha experienced -30 ° C (-22 ° F), its coldest temperature in 25 years.
More subzero temperatures are forecast, with wind chill warnings coming from Canada to Mexico.
A sign warns motorists after a sudden heavy snowfall in Madison, Wisconsin.
A man peeks out from his tent during record cold weather in Oklahoma City
The US National Weather Service said more than 100 million Americans were under winter storm warnings.
Texas has been particularly affected by the temperature dropping to -22C (-7.6F) on Tuesday, compared to the usual February average of between 20 ° C (68 ° F) and 24 ° C (75 ° F) in central and southern areas.
Three people were killed and 10 injured after a storm-generated tornado hit a coastal city in North Carolina and four family members were killed in a Houston-area fire while using a fireplace to keep warm.
Deaths were also reported in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Louisiana. In all, at least 20 people are said to have died from causes including car accidents and carbon monoxide poisoning.
The icy weather also threatened to disrupt the COVID-19 vaccination effort, and the government warned that delays in vaccine shipments were likely.
On tuesday night President Joe Biden He spoke with the governors of the affected states and promised emergency support.
The worst power outages were in Texas, where Biden declared a federal emergency on Monday, affecting more than two million homes and businesses.
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A slippery slope: man struggles to clear the ice
More than 250,000 people were also without power in parts of the Appalachians, and another 200,000 were without power after an ice storm in northwest Oregon, according to poweroutage.us.
Utilities from Minnesota to Texas implemented continuous blackouts to ease the load on power grids.
The storm has reached as far south as Mexico, where four million people were without power.
The cuts forced a Texas county to fight to administer more than 8,000 doses of Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine after a public health facility ran out of power early Monday and its backup generator also failed, Rafael Lemaitre said. , spokeswoman for Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo.
County officials distributed the doses that could have spoiled at three hospitals, Rice University and the county jail.
Texas officials said more than 400,000 doses due Tuesday will not arrive until at least Wednesday due to the storm.
