More than 90 weather-related deaths have been recorded across the US after the country was hit by severe winter storms for the past week, according to a tally maintained by CBS, the BBC’s US partner. The deaths include at least 25 in Tennessee and 16 in Oregon, which remains under a state of emergency following severe ice storms. Tens of thousands of people also remain without power across wide swathes of the country. Icy conditions are expected to ease off in the next few days.
The historic winter storms have resulted in an unprecedented number of fatalities, with reports of deaths in Tennessee, Oregon, Mississippi, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Washington, Kentucky, Wisconsin, New York, and New Jersey. The severe weather has also caused multiple accidents and infrastructure issues in several states, affecting water supplies and resulting in widespread power outages.
In some areas, residents have been advised to boil or use bottled water for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, and food preparation due to concerns about water quality. The National Weather Service has issued an ice storm warning for parts of Arkansas and Oklahoma, and driving conditions are expected to be treacherous in large swathes of the country into Monday.
While the immediate forecast predicts a thaw and warmer temperatures, the aftermath of the storms could potentially result in flooding in parts of the Midwest and northeastern US. The impact of the storms and the subsequent recovery efforts are expected to have long-lasting effects on the affected communities across the country.
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