NEW YORK, Feb 17 (Alliance News): At least nine people have died in the eastern United States, including eight in Kentucky, as severe storms triggered flooding, powerful winds, and widespread power outages, officials confirmed Sunday.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear announced the deaths, warning that the toll could rise. “I’m heartbroken to share we’ve lost at least 8 people to this storm,” he posted on X, urging residents to remain cautious as severe weather persists.
In Atlanta, Georgia, a man died when an “extremely large” tree crashed onto his house, local fire officials reported. Most of the Kentucky victims drowned after being trapped in vehicles by sudden floodwaters, including a mother and her child. More than 1,000 people have been rescued in the state within 24 hours.
The storm, moving from the South into the Northeast, has exacerbated an already challenging winter, with recent weeks bringing extreme cold, snow, and heavy rain. Over 500,000 homes and businesses were left without power across several states, according to poweroutage.us.
The National Weather Service has warned of an impending Arctic blast that could send temperatures plummeting to -51°C in parts of the Midwest, near the Canadian border, as brutal cold grips much of the country.
