America buckles under extreme weather

"Unusual" storm

The US National Weather Service (NWS) reported that heavy rains led to flash floods, wind gusts of more than 80 km/h and thunderstorms hitting the East Coast of the country, from the Mid-Atlantic region to the Northeast, according to AFP. In particular, a major winter storm caused flooding and strong winds to hit the coast of New Jersey on the evening of January 9 (yesterday morning Vietnam time). "Don't underestimate this situation," Mr. Phil Murphy, Governor of New Jersey, warned in an interview with local press. He described the new storm as "unusual", citing storms that brought heavy rainfall in January and strong winds to the coast. Mr. Murphy had to declare a state of emergency because of dangerous weather conditions, according to WPVI.

Houses damaged after a tornado swept through Perdido Key, Florida on January 9.

The storm also moved toward Maine, with flooding rain, fierce winds, and heavy snowfall from the evening of January 9 to January 10. The heavy rain and flooding caused some school districts in Maine to cancel classes or dismiss students early on January 9, according to The New York Times. Heavy rain also fell on New York City, creating the risk of widespread flooding in areas with poor drainage systems, according to ABC News.

In addition, tornadoes swept through the Southeast region of the US, including the state of Florida. Drone images showed uprooted trees and damaged buildings. Officials said at least three people were killed by the storm in the three states of North Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. Among them, one person died when a tree fell on the windshield of a car in Jonesboro, Georgia.

Widespread power outage

The NWS also reported heavy snowfall in some areas of the Midwest on January 9. And in the Northwest, the first blizzard warning in a decade was issued for areas in the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges, according to The New York Times . Blizzard conditions are expected to continue through January 10, with heavy snowfall possible in the Cascade area. Heavy snow is also forecast to fall in the mountains of western Maine within a few hours, with up to 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 centimeters).

Snowstorm in Lawrence City, Massachusetts (USA) on January 7

As severe weather rages across the United States, officials are warning people to prepare for power outages. As of the evening of January 9, more than 890,000 customers in the US were without power, mainly on the East Coast, according to AFP, citing data from Poweroutage.us , a site that tracks utility information. Of those, more than 275,000 customers from Texas to North Carolina were without power on the morning of January 9. Nguyen, a Vietnamese-American living near Dallas, told Thanh Nien yesterday that snow is forecast to fall in the area where she lives early next week. "The weather in Texas is very unpredictable, there can be up to four seasons in one day," Nguyen said.

Scientists say that as humanity continues to warm the planet, weather patterns will become less predictable. That means more powerful storms, along with hotter, drier periods and potentially drier water supplies, according to AFP.

US Vice President's plane diverted due to bad weather

Severe weather forced US Vice President Kamala Harris' plane to divert as it returned from Atlanta, Georgia, on the evening of January 9. According to AFP, Air Force Two diverted to Dulles International Airport in Virginia instead of landing at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. The weather also had a major impact on aviation operations, with more than 1,300 flights canceled and 8,600 delayed in the US on January 9, according to AFP citing data from FlightAware.com .

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