USA Snow in Florida - cold deaths in Texas
At least two people have died in the freezing cold in the USA. There have been two fatal incidents in connection with the wintry weather, the city of Austin in the south of the country announced on Tuesday (local time), without giving further details. At the same time, the capital of the state of Texas warned residents of the dangers of hypothermia in view of the low temperatures.
22.01.2025, 08:49
SDA
As in Texas, other regions of the USA also experienced the effects of a severe cold spell. Snow even fell in the sunny state of Florida - pictures from Pensacola Beach showed snow-covered beaches and palm trees. Snow clearing vehicles were out and about on some roads. The weather service reported around 20 centimetres of snow in New Orleans in the state of Louisiana.
State of emergency in several states
In view of the unusual winter storm for the region, the southern states of Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, Florida and Mississippi declared a state of emergency. For the north of the USA, the weather service warned of temperatures of up to minus 30 degrees Celsius (minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit).
Snow and ice also hampered air traffic. According to FlightAware.com, around 2,300 flights were canceled nationwide on Tuesday. The airports in Houston, Dallas, Atlanta and New Orleans were particularly affected.
Several more fires in California
Meanwhile, firefighters are continuing to battle several fires in Southern California. However, the wind has died down somewhat and rain is forecast for the weekend, according to the weather service. The two largest fires in the region, the "Palisades Fire" and the "Eaton Fire", are now 65 and 89 percent contained, according to the fire protection authority Cal Fire.
According to estimates, around 16,000 buildings in the region have been destroyed or damaged by the wildfires so far. The death toll has risen to 28: rescue workers found the body of a 94-year-old man who had been missing since the outbreak of the fires, local media reported, citing the authorities.
