Southern states grapple with bone-chilling cold temperatures
DALLAS -- Across the country, Americans are dealing with frigid conditions. That includes parts of Texas, where temperatures dipped into the teens in some areas.
The arctic blast that has been sweeping the country has been downing power lines, icing over roads and causing dozens of water main breaks, turning neighborhoods into ice rinks overnight.
Light snow and icy roads made travel dangerous across parts of the Lone Star State. In Hurst, Texas, an officer responding to a highway accident narrowly avoided being hit by a car, after the driver lost control on the ice. Dashcam video shows the officer calmly trying to walk to safety, but he slips. Luckily, the car missed him by a few inches.
Highway crews in Dallas dropped sand on the road for traction, but down in Houston, the slick morning commute caused dozens of fender benders.
On the Alabama Gulf Coast, there were icicles on the beach. The early morning temperatures Tuesday dipped to 20 degrees, turning the rolling tide into a frosty landscape.
With temperatures dipping into the teens in Atlanta, local emergency rooms saw an uptick in patients suffering from hypothermia. Freezing temperatures are in the forecast for the rest of the week.