WASHINGTON, Jan 6 (KUNA) -- A deadly winter storm is pummeling Washington DC, and the mid-Atlantic Monday after causing hundreds of crashes and flight cancellations and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands in the central United States over the weekend.
Heavy snow in DC: Five inches of snow had fallen in the area by sunrise, marking its snowiest day in two years, with more on the way through the day.
US federal government offices in Washington are closed due to the weather, but the closure will not affect Congress where certification of the 2024 Presidential Election results will take place.
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said the top priority is getting the city fully opened as soon as possible and urged people to give snowplow teams space to work. "If you don't need to be on the roads tonight and tomorrow, stay home.
Please stay off our roads," she said Sunday. DC is one of hundreds of locales across more than 1,000 miles of the US with several inches of snow from the storm.
Local US media said at least three people died in traffic crashes caused by the storm.
Two people in Wichita, Kansas, died Sunday when their SUV slid and went down an embankment, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol.
A dump truck slid out of control in Independence, Missouri, Sunday night and struck a 61-year-old pedestrian who died at the scene, according to the state's highway patrol.
Drivers stranded: Major highways were shut down by snow and ice in multiple states over the weekend, including Missouri where at least 600 motorists were stranded amid extreme conditions.
Hundreds of car crashes occurred in Virginia, Indiana, Kansas and Kentucky, the Associated Press reported.
The National Guard was deployed across major roads in Kansas, western Nebraska and parts of Indiana, where hundreds of motorists were stranded, according to the Associated Press (AP).
In northwestern Missouri, the State Highway Patrol is "working with tow companies to remove countless stranded vehicles" on I-29, the Missouri Department of Transportation said.
The interstate reopened Monday morning, but officials strongly encouraged drivers to stay clear of it. (end) rsr.mb