Latest U.S. Winter Weather Blast Claims At Least 9 Lives
At least 9 people have lost their lives due to the recent severe winter weather impacting the United States.
TroibNews 
At least nine fatalities have been reported due to the latest severe weather impacting the U.S., with eight of those occurring in Kentucky, where creeks overflowed from torrential rains and water inundated roadways.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear stated on Sunday that many people stranded by flooding required rescue.
President Donald Trump has approved a disaster declaration for the state, enabling the Federal Emergency Management Agency to manage relief efforts statewide.
Beshear indicated that the majority of the fatalities, including that of a mother and her 7-year-old child, were linked to vehicles becoming trapped in high waters. Since the onset of the storms on Saturday, there have been about 1,000 rescues statewide.
The storms have left approximately 39,000 households without power, although Beshear cautioned that strong winds in certain regions might result in further outages.
According to Bob Oravec, a senior forecaster with the National Weather Service, parts of Kentucky and Tennessee received as much as 150 millimeters of rain.
In Alabama, the Birmingham weather service confirmed that an EF-1 tornado touched down overnight in Hale County.
Storm impacts in Alabama included destruction or damage to several mobile homes, fallen trees, and downed power lines, although no injuries were reported immediately.
Significant damage to rooftops and buildings was observed in Tuscumbia, a northern city, prompting officials to advise people to stay away from the area.
A state of emergency was declared for parts of Obion County, Tennessee, following a levee failure that flooded the small community of Rives, home to around 300 residents in the western region of the state.
In Atlanta, a person lost their life when a large tree fell onto a home early Sunday morning.
Dangerously low wind chill temperatures, reaching as low as minus 45.6 degrees Celsius, were anticipated across most of North Dakota, which remains under an "extreme cold warning," along with extensive areas of South Dakota and Minnesota, as per the National Weather Service.
Water inundated vehicles and buildings in Kentucky, while mudslides obstructed roads in Virginia from late Saturday into Sunday. Flood warnings were in effect for Kentucky, Tennessee, and Arkansas.
In Kentucky's Bonnieville community, a mother and child were swept away Saturday night. Meanwhile, a 73-year-old man was discovered deceased in floodwaters in Clay County, contributing to a total of four deaths in Hart County, according to Beshear.
The Kentucky River Medical Center in Jackson announced the closure of its emergency department and the transfer of all patients to two nearby hospitals due to flooding from an adjacent river.
Social media posts from authorities and local residents depicted vehicles and structures submerged in water across south-central and eastern Kentucky.
In Buchanan County, Virginia, the sheriff's office reported multiple roads were blocked due to mudslides.
Strong winds downed trees and power poles throughout Albemarle County, Virginia. The Charlottesville Police Department noted on social media that their response times may be delayed due to "an overwhelming number of weather-related calls for service."
Authorities urged residents to avoid traveling on the roads.
In West Virginia, 13 southern counties have declared a state of emergency due to flooding, with some areas inaccessible to vehicles on Sunday. Several volunteer fire departments contended with flooding in their own facilities while responding to rescue and evacuation needs.
In Michigan, icy and snowy conditions made road travel hazardous, with the state under a winter weather advisory. Michigan State Police reported 114 accidents in the Detroit area since the onset of snow on Saturday.
Authorities in Colorado indicated that eight individuals had died in vehicle accidents since Valentine's Day, cautioning drivers to exercise care given the challenging road conditions. The specific causes of these fatal crashes were not immediately known.
Additionally in Colorado, three state patrol cruisers parked along roadways were struck by other vehicles, including one incident on Sunday involving a trooper who had stopped while officials were preparing to close a road due to ice.
In all instances, the troopers were outside their vehicles at the time and were unharmed.
Meteorologists noted that the U.S. is on the brink of experiencing its 10th and coldest polar vortex event of the season, with the northern Rockies and northern Plains being the first affected areas.
Arctic weather systems are converging to drive chilly air—typically confined to the North Pole—into both the U.S. and Europe.
Last week, the National Weather Service had warned of "life-threatening cold" in the northern Plains.
Avalanche warnings have been issued for various regions in the Rocky Mountains, from Colorado to Washington state, with Utah facing the highest levels of risk.
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear stated on Sunday that many people stranded by flooding required rescue.
President Donald Trump has approved a disaster declaration for the state, enabling the Federal Emergency Management Agency to manage relief efforts statewide.
Beshear indicated that the majority of the fatalities, including that of a mother and her 7-year-old child, were linked to vehicles becoming trapped in high waters. Since the onset of the storms on Saturday, there have been about 1,000 rescues statewide.
The storms have left approximately 39,000 households without power, although Beshear cautioned that strong winds in certain regions might result in further outages.
According to Bob Oravec, a senior forecaster with the National Weather Service, parts of Kentucky and Tennessee received as much as 150 millimeters of rain.
In Alabama, the Birmingham weather service confirmed that an EF-1 tornado touched down overnight in Hale County.
Storm impacts in Alabama included destruction or damage to several mobile homes, fallen trees, and downed power lines, although no injuries were reported immediately.
Significant damage to rooftops and buildings was observed in Tuscumbia, a northern city, prompting officials to advise people to stay away from the area.
A state of emergency was declared for parts of Obion County, Tennessee, following a levee failure that flooded the small community of Rives, home to around 300 residents in the western region of the state.
In Atlanta, a person lost their life when a large tree fell onto a home early Sunday morning.
Dangerously low wind chill temperatures, reaching as low as minus 45.6 degrees Celsius, were anticipated across most of North Dakota, which remains under an "extreme cold warning," along with extensive areas of South Dakota and Minnesota, as per the National Weather Service.
Water inundated vehicles and buildings in Kentucky, while mudslides obstructed roads in Virginia from late Saturday into Sunday. Flood warnings were in effect for Kentucky, Tennessee, and Arkansas.
In Kentucky's Bonnieville community, a mother and child were swept away Saturday night. Meanwhile, a 73-year-old man was discovered deceased in floodwaters in Clay County, contributing to a total of four deaths in Hart County, according to Beshear.
The Kentucky River Medical Center in Jackson announced the closure of its emergency department and the transfer of all patients to two nearby hospitals due to flooding from an adjacent river.
Social media posts from authorities and local residents depicted vehicles and structures submerged in water across south-central and eastern Kentucky.
In Buchanan County, Virginia, the sheriff's office reported multiple roads were blocked due to mudslides.
Strong winds downed trees and power poles throughout Albemarle County, Virginia. The Charlottesville Police Department noted on social media that their response times may be delayed due to "an overwhelming number of weather-related calls for service."
Authorities urged residents to avoid traveling on the roads.
In West Virginia, 13 southern counties have declared a state of emergency due to flooding, with some areas inaccessible to vehicles on Sunday. Several volunteer fire departments contended with flooding in their own facilities while responding to rescue and evacuation needs.
In Michigan, icy and snowy conditions made road travel hazardous, with the state under a winter weather advisory. Michigan State Police reported 114 accidents in the Detroit area since the onset of snow on Saturday.
Authorities in Colorado indicated that eight individuals had died in vehicle accidents since Valentine's Day, cautioning drivers to exercise care given the challenging road conditions. The specific causes of these fatal crashes were not immediately known.
Additionally in Colorado, three state patrol cruisers parked along roadways were struck by other vehicles, including one incident on Sunday involving a trooper who had stopped while officials were preparing to close a road due to ice.
In all instances, the troopers were outside their vehicles at the time and were unharmed.
Meteorologists noted that the U.S. is on the brink of experiencing its 10th and coldest polar vortex event of the season, with the northern Rockies and northern Plains being the first affected areas.
Arctic weather systems are converging to drive chilly air—typically confined to the North Pole—into both the U.S. and Europe.
Last week, the National Weather Service had warned of "life-threatening cold" in the northern Plains.
Avalanche warnings have been issued for various regions in the Rocky Mountains, from Colorado to Washington state, with Utah facing the highest levels of risk.
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
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