Residents in Texas have been warned they may be forced to remain indoors until Wednesday as a major storm bears down on large parts of the nation.
Winter storm Fern is set to hit the US in full force this weekend, with nearly 230 million Americans across the country bracing for frigid temperatures and heavy snowfall.
At least 16 states, including Washington DC have issued states of emergency to mobilize federal resources for response efforts.
Texans typically avoid the headaches of severe winter weather, but the Lone Star State is set to take the brunt of it this weekend, with officials warning residents may need to hunker down until Wednesday.
Kevin Oden, the city’s director of emergency management and crisis response, told CNN that those in the area should have enough food, medicine, and supplies for the next four or five days, adding that his team has been in ‘response mode’ since Friday afternoon.
‘We definitely don’t believe that being on the roadways, particularly over these next 48 to 72 hours, is any place for folks to be,’ he said.
Oden added that his emergency teams were keeping an eye on ‘critical infrastructure’ as the storm approached.
‘The biggest thing we’re watching is all of our critical infrastructure,’ he said
Travelers have been dealt a massive headache as thousands of flights were canceled this weekend amid a historic storm
Shoppers across the nation rushed to purchase essentials in a frenzy as officials warned some might be hunkered down until Wednesday
Stores including Costco, Walmart, Target, and Trader Joe’s were flooded on Friday as Americans rushed to stock up ahead of the winter storm
‘We want to make sure that the power is working, people can move freely on the streets, hospitals are operating, water is flowing, all of that.
‘If we start to see impacts to any of those systems, we’ve got contingencies in place to hopefully get those systems back online and serve our residents.’
After the storm passes, it will take a while to thaw out. Ice can add hundreds of pounds to power lines and branches and make them more susceptible to snapping, especially if it’s windy.
A total of 3,240 flights have already been canceled on Saturday, with an additional 4,679 on Sunday, according to data compiled by the flight tracking site, FlightAware.
As of Friday night, American Airlines held the top spot for flight cancellations, canceling over 700 flights for Saturday.
The National Weather Service in Fort Worth warned residents on Friday night that freezing rain had already begun in the area and would persist overnight.
The NWS also issued a warning for those across central Texas and the Hill Country just before 9:30 pm CT/10:30 pm EST for heavy rainfall and flash flooding.
Fern’s storm path spans 2,000 miles, engulfing parts of the South, the Plains, the Midwest, and the Northeast.
States in the storm path are expected to experience severe ice, winds, dangerously cold temperatures, and up to a foot of snow.
By Friday night, the edge of the storm was sending freezing rain and sleet into parts of Texas while snow and sleet were falling in Oklahoma.
Tim O’Connell, a grader operator for the Brattleboro, Vt., Public Works, gets his vehicle ready on Friday
Footage taken inside a supermarket in New York City shows how residents have been panic buying
After sweeping through the South, the storm was expected to move into the Northeast, dumping about a footof snow from Washington through New York and Boston, the weather service predicted.
The Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced on Friday that the National Response Coordination Center has been activated ahead of the winter storm.
She said 30 generators, 250,000 meals, 400,000 liters of water, and other essential supplies were on hand to support affected areas.
Staging areas have also been set up in Texas and Louisiana. Additionally, three Incident Management Assistance Teams have been deployed, and 15 are on standby.
DHS has also ordered 28 Urban Search and Rescue teams to stand by.
Federal and state officials have urged Americans to stay home this weekend and avoid unsafe travel.
Over 7,000 flights scheduled for Saturday and Sunday were cancelled on Friday. American Airlines was the most impacted airline, canceling 716 scheduled flights on Saturday.
Chaos erupted across stores ahead of the storm, with Americans rushing to major retailers and grocers to stock up on essentials.
Photos and videos circulated online showing massive lines and empty shelves at Walmart, Trader Joe’s, and Target stores.
President Donald Trump said via social media on Friday that his administration was coordinating with state and local officials and ‘FEMA is fully prepared to respond.’
