Deadly ice storm in Great Plains creates havoc on the roads
A winter weather alert remains in effect for much of the central U.S., as a deadly ice storm continues its slow trek through the region.
At least six deaths have been reported from the storm and thousands are without power. The system created havoc on the roads, and caused hundreds of cancellations and delays at airports.
As the storm rolled across the Great Plains into Oklahoma, it brought with it freezing rain that coated power lines, trees and cars in a thick layer of ice that’s brought much of the region and millions of residents to a standstill.
Overnight, storms pounded Texas, bringing heavy rain, flooding and tornadoes, reports CBS News correspondent Omar Villafranca. Two touched down south of Dallas, and heavy winds near the Grand Prairie airport damaged a hangar.
Further north, ice more than an inch thick in some places crippled parts of the Great Plains and Midwest Sunday, crushing trees, cracking power lines and disabling cars.
“It covered up my pickup, covered up her car, covered up the neighbor’s van. Just been digging ever since,” Nelse O’Hair of Oklahoma said.
The region has been under assault since Friday, battered by freezing rain and snow, leaving thousands of people without power.
On the roads, crews worked overtime clearing roads of ice and snow. The ice storm devastated highways, leaving drivers spinning out-of-control.
Dashcam video shows a Kansas state trooper making a narrow escape after a semi-tractor trailer loses control on an icy road. At least two injuries were reported in a 20-car pile-up near downtown Wichita.
In Nebraska, two semi-trucks crashed on Interstate-80, causing one to erupt into a fiery blaze. De-icing crews were called out to St. Louis’ Lambert Airport where over 100 flights were delayed or canceled due to the storm.
Following the Dallas Cowboys’ loss to the Green Bay Packers, the storm in Texas forced some fans to stay in locked-down AT&T Stadium. In Kansas City, the game between the Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers was pushed back seven hours because of the ice storm. The storm is expected to bring even more snow, rain, and ice to the area through the rest of Monday, before slowly trekking toward the Northeast.