Photo: Getty Images
A powerful winter storm has hit the U.S. South, prompting state of emergency declarations and school closures, the Associated Press reports.
Heavy snow dumped down across Texas and Oklahoma before moving through other southern states like Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia and as far east as South Carolina.
The heaviest snowfall was expected to hit Arkansas and Tennessee on Friday (January 10), with snow ranging from 6 to 9 inches in some parts of the states. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders deployed the National Guard to help motorists stranded in snowy conditions. Other states faced a wintry mix of sleet and freezing rain that made for dangerous road conditions.
“I have not seen any accidents, but I have seen a couple of people get stuck out on the road and sliding around,” Charles Daniel, a truck driver traveling through the slushy roads of Oklahoma, said Thursday. “People do not need to be driving.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott also urged residents to avoid the roads as 75,000 fans gear up to attend the National College Football Championship semifinal game at the Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas on Friday.
School was canceled for millions of children across southern states on Friday. Over 4,500 flights were delayed and 2,000 more were canceled on Thursday (January 9).
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein also made emergency declarations in their respective states in preparation for snowfall and ice.
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