People take photos in Times Square as the snow gets heavier during a large winter storm in New York City, Jan. 23, 2016. (Gordon Donovan/Yahoo News)
Millions of people in the eastern United States dug out Sunday from a historic blizzard that brought New York and Washington to a standstill, but travel woes look set to persist into another week.
The storm — dubbed “Snowzilla” — killed at least 18 people after it walloped several states from Friday into early Sunday, affecting an estimated 85 million residents who were told to stay in doors and off the roads for their own safety. Forecasters said 26.8 inches (68 centimeters) of snow fell in New York’s Central Park, the second-highest accumulation in the city since records began in 1869, and more than 22 inches paralyzed the capital Washington.
Near-record-breaking snowfall was recorded in other cities up and down the East Coast, with Philadelphia and Baltimore also on the receiving end of some of the worst that Mother Nature could fling at them. (AP)
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In an image taken with a fisheye lens, tourists take photos of a snowman in New York City’s Times Square on Jan. 23, 2015. A blizzard with hurricane-force winds brought much of the East Coast to a standstill Saturday, dumping as much as 2 feet of snow, stranding tens of thousands of travelers. (Gordon Donovan/Yahoo News)
In this photo provided by Michael Watkins, traffic is at a standstill on the Pennsylvania Turnpike near Bedford, Pa., Saturday, Jan. 23, 2016. The Duquesne men’s basketball team and Temple University’s women’s gymnastics team are stuck on the Turnpike due to treacherous weather conditions. A mammoth winter storm crawled up the U.S. East Coast on Saturday, making roads impassable, shutting down mass transit, and bringing Washington and New York City to a standstill. (AP Photo/Michael Watkins via AP)
A vehicle with a plow gets stuck in a snowdrift as the operator attempts to dig his truck out during a large winter storm in New York City, Jan. 23, 2016. (Gordon Donovan/Yahoo News)
Pedestrians battle the elements as they walk across E.57th Street in midtown Manhattan in New York City, Saturday, Jan. 23, 2016. A blizzard with hurricane-force winds brought much of the East Coast to a standstill Saturday. (Gordon Donovan/Yahoo News)
Children enjoy some fun in the snow in Central Park in New York City, Jan. 24, 2016. Over 25 inches of snow in Central Park marked the third-largest snowfall since record-keeping began in 1869, police and weather officials said. (Gordon Donovan/Yahoo News)
Pedestrians make their way through heavy snow and deep embankments in midtown Manhattan in New York City, Saturday, Jan. 23, 2016. A blizzard with hurricane-force winds brought much of the East Coast to a standstill Saturday. (Gordon Donovan/Yahoo News)
A snowdrift covers the sidewalk and blocks the entrance of stores on W.57th Street in midtown Manhattan in New York City, Saturday, Jan. 23, 2016. A blizzard with hurricane-force winds brought much of the East Coast to a standstill Saturday. (Gordon Donovan/Yahoo News)
Children enjoy some fun in the snow in Central Park in New York City, Jan. 24, 2016. Over 25 inches of snow in Central Park marked the third-largest snowfall since record-keeping began in 1869, police and weather officials said. (Gordon Donovan/Yahoo News)
Pedestrians seek some temporary relief from a bus shelter as they walk across E.57th Street in midtown Manhattan in New York City, Saturday, Jan. 23, 2016. A blizzard with hurricane-force winds brought much of the East Coast to a standstill Saturday. (Gordon Donovan/Yahoo News)
People take photos in Times Square as the snow gets heavier during a large winter storm in New York City, Jan. 23, 2016. (Gordon Donovan/Yahoo News)
Maintenance personnel look at a large sinkhole on Kane Drive in Gresham, Ore., Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015. Torrential rains pummeled parts of the Pacific Northwest early Wednesday, causing mudslides and flooding roads. (AP Photo/Steve Dipaola)
One lane on the main highway connecting Washington and Oregon was reopened Thursday evening after it was closed due to a major landslide.
The landslide which covered Highway 30 just south of the St. Johns Bridge in Portland was caused by heavy rains brought by a major Northwest storm.
The storms have caused rivers to burst their banks and roads to close.
At least two people were killed in the Pacific Northwest due to the storm.
The National Weather Service also was checking reports of a possible tornado touching down in southwest Washington on Thursday.
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Anna Miller-Jessel and her son Kaydan Seai, 2, survey damage in their Eugene, Ore., neighborhood Thursday, Dec. 10, 2015, after a wind and rain storm moved through overnight, toppling several trees along the street and causing damage to cars and homes. (Brian Davies/The Register-Guard via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT
Johnson Creek swells near flood stage in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015 as the Pacific Northwest was soaked by another night of heavy rain, Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015. The Oregon Department of Transportation says landslides and high water have closed parts of many state highways. (AP Photo/Steve Dipaola)
Robin Baden, and her husband Gary look at this pick-up truck as a Walla Walla Police Officer takes pictures of the tree that landed on the truck Thursday, Dec. 10, 2015 as Baden was approaching the corner of Clinton Street and East Issaacs Avenue in Walla Walla, Wa. Forecasters say the dramatic storms in the Pacific Northwest were easing up Thursday, but the threat from mudslides and flooding remained. (Michael Lopez/Walla Walla Union-Bulletin via AP)
Shane Van der Zwan walks across his driveway Thursday, Dec. 10, 2015 in Eugene, Ore., to survey damage after a large Douglas fir tree fell overnight during a wind and rain storm that hit the southern Willamette valley after midnight. (Brian Davies/The Register-Guard via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT
Maintenance personnel look at a large sinkhole on Kane Drive in Gresham, Ore., Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015. Torrential rains pummeled parts of the Pacific Northwest early Wednesday, causing mudslides and flooding roads. (AP Photo/Steve Dipaola)
A large fir tree fell on a house overnight and killed an elderly woman in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015. Heavy rain and wind has caused at least one death in the region. (AP Photo/Steve Dipaola)
Emergency personnel work the scene of a train wreck, Tuesday, May 12, 2015, in Philadelphia. An Amtrak train headed to New York City derailed and crashed in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Joseph Kaczmarek)
An Amtrak train headed to New York City from Washington, D.C. derailed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania killing at least five people shortly after 9 p.m. Tuesday.
It was a very bad accident where all the seven cars of Amtrak Northeast Regional Train 188 derailed and came off the tracks near the 2000 block of Wheatsheaf Lane.
The incident happened in an area known as Frankford Junction.
65 people were reportedly hurt and six of them are in critical condition.
Victims were taken to Temple University Hospital, Aria Health-Frankford, Hahnemann University Hospital and the Albert Einstein Medical Center.
AP reported that, “Mayor Michael Nutter, who confirmed the deaths, said the scene was horrific and not all the more than 240 people on the train had been accounted for”.
The mayor said the incident was a”Level 3 mass casualty event”.
It was reported that the train was carrying 238 passengers and 5 crew members.
NBC reported that, “the incident required a 4-alarm response, including 120 firefighters and 200 police officers”.
The Amtrak train service between New York City and Philadelphia was suspended after the crash.
Emergency responders search for passengers following an Amtrak train derailment in the Frankfort section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, May 12, 2015. An Amtrak passenger train with more than 200 passengers on board derailed in north Philadelphia on Tuesday night, killing at least five people and injuring more than 50 others, several of them critically, authorities said. Authorities said they had no idea what caused the train wreck, which left some demolished rail cars strewn upside down and on their sides in the city’s Port Richmond neighborhood along the Delaware River. REUTERS/Bryan Woolston
Emergency responders search for passengers following an Amtrak train derailment in the Frankfort section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, May 12, 2015. An Amtrak passenger train with more than 200 passengers on board derailed in north Philadelphia on Tuesday night, killing at least five people and injuring more than 50 others, several of them critically, authorities said. Authorities said they had no idea what caused the train wreck, which left some demolished rail cars strewn upside down and on their sides in the city’s Port Richmond neighborhood along the Delaware River. REUTERS/Bryan Woolston
Rescue workers search for victims in the wreckage of a derailed Amtrak train in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania May 12, 2015. The Amtrak passenger train with more than 200 passengers on board derailed in north Philadelphia on Tuesday night, killing at least five people and injuring more than 50 others, several of them critically, authorities said. Authorities said they had no idea what caused the train wreck, which left some demolished rail cars strewn upside down and on their sides in the city’s Port Richmond neighborhood along the Delaware River. REUTERS/Bryan Woolston
Emergency personnel work the scene of a train wreck, Tuesday, May 12, 2015, in Philadelphia. An Amtrak train headed to New York City derailed and crashed in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Joseph Kaczmarek)
Emergency personnel work the scene of a train wreck, Tuesday, May 12, 2015, in Philadelphia. An Amtrak train headed to New York City derailed and crashed in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Joseph Kaczmarek)
Emergency personnel work the scene of a train wreck, Tuesday, May 12, 2015, in Philadelphia. An Amtrak train headed to New York City derailed and crashed in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Joseph Kaczmarek)
A Red Fox frolicking in the fall colors of Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska. (Dee Ann Pederson Houston, Texas, USA/Courtesy of National Museum of Natural History)
These are some of more than 5,000 entries to go on display in “Wilderness Forever: 50 Years of Protecting America’s Wild Places,” a new photo exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, which will run through summer 2015.
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Proxy Falls cascade down towards the moss-covered forest of Three Sisters Wilderness in Oregon. (Thomas Goebel, age 18, Jensen Beach, Florida, USA/Courtesy of National Museum of Natural History)
A brown bear found in Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska holds a freshly caught salmon in its mouth. (Robert Amoruso, Orlando, Florida, USA/Courtesy of National Museum of Natural History)
An adult male Snowy Owl, wide awake at the day’s first light in Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness Area, New York. (Scott Joshua Dere, Cedarhurst, New York, USA/Courtesy of National Museum of Natural History)
A herd of mountain goats huddle together on top of Mount Evans, Colorado during a lightning storm.(Verdon Tomajko, Superior, Colorado, USA/Courtesy of National Museum of Natural History)
The Milky Way sparkles over Second Beach in the Olympic Wilderness, Washington. (Joe LeFevre, Oswego, New York, USA/Courtesy of National Museum of Natural History)
The hillside which collapsed and produced a March 22, 2014 mudslide near Oso, Washington, is seen in this March 23, 2014 handout photo from Governor Jay Inslee’s office. REUTERS/Gov. Jay Inslee’s Office/Handout
By Tuesday, at least 14 people were killed, eight people were injured while 176 others are still missing since a rain-soaked hillside collapsed on Saturday along State Route 530 near Oso, Washington.
The landslide heaved houses off their foundations, toppled trees and left a gaping cavity on what had been a tree-covered hillside.
More than 100 properties were hit by the mudslide.
Seattle Times newspaper reported that many warnings had been issued about the area where the disaster.
In 1999, a report was filed to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers highlighting “the potential for a large catastrophic failure”.
Search crew workers were forced again to briefly retreat on Monday from the western edge of the slide area after movement was detected along a 1,500-foot (460-meter) stretch of earth.
There is fear of flooding as water levels rose behind a crude dam of mud and rubble that had been dumped into the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River by the slide in an area along State Route 530, about 55 miles northeast of Seattle, in the Pacific Northwest state.
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This March 23, 2014 photo, made available by the Washington State Dept of Transportation shows a view of the damage from Saturday’s mudslide near Oso, Wash. At least eight people were killed in the 1-square-mile slide that hit in a rural area about 55 miles northeast of Seattle on Saturday. Several people also were critically injured, and about 30 homes were destroyed. (AP Photo/Washington State Dept of Transportation)
This March 23, 2014 photo, made available by the Washington State Dept of Transportation shows a view of the damage from Saturday’s mudslide near Oso, Wash. At least eight people were killed in the 1-square-mile slide that hit in a rural area about 55 miles northeast of Seattle on Saturday. Several people also were critically injured, and about 30 homes were destroyed. (AP Photo/Washington State Dept of Transportation)
A search and rescue worker rides a boat along a flooded portion of Highway 530 after returning from the massive landslide near Darrington, Washington March 24, 2014.
REUTERS/Jason Redmond
In this aerial photo taken Saturday, March 23, 2014, a massive mudslide is shown in between the towns of Darrington, Wash., and Arlington, Wash. The slide killed at least three people and many people are still unaccounted for, and authorities said Sunday that searchers were flying over the one-square-mile mudslide in helicopters. (The Seattle Times, Marcus Yam) MANDATORY CREDIT TO: MARCUS YAM/THE SEATTLE TIMES
“We didn’t see or hear any signs of life out there today,” Snohomish County Fire District 21 Chief Travis Hots said two days after the landslide in Washington state.
The landslide that started on Saturday morning, was triggered after rain-soaked embankments along State Route 530 near Oso, Washington, about 55 miles northeast of Seattle.
It buried homes and cars and tangled debris up to 15 feet deep.
At least six homes were washed away.
Eight people were killed while at least 18 others were still missing.
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A house is seen destroyed in the mud on Highway 530 next to mile marker 37 on Sunday, March 23, 2014, the day after a giant landslide occurred near mile marker 37 near Oso, Washington. At least six homes have been washed away, with three people reported dead so far and at least eighteen missing. The nearby Stillaguamish River has been dammed up by 15-20 feet of debris as a result, creating more flooding concerns, as reported by KING 5 via the state hydrologist. (AP Photo/The Seattle Times, Lindsey Wasson, Pool)
The orange X on a house, destroyed in the mud, indicates it has been searched for people on Highway 530, Sunday, March 23, 2014 the day after a giant landslide occurred near Oso, Wash. Rescue crews searched into the night for survivors from a massive mudslide that killed at least three people, after hearing voices from the debris field pleading for help. (AP Photo/The Seattle Times, Lindsey Wasson, Pool)
Officials survey a large mudslide in this handout photo provided by the Washington State Police near Oso, Washington March 22, 2014. The mudslide pushed debris and at least one house onto Highway 530 near Oso Saturday morning according to local news reports. Search and rescue crews were responding to the scene. (REUTERS/Jason Redmond)
The building where the mass shooting happened. Please click the photo for larger image. (Ahmad Ali Karim for Ahmad Ali JetPlane Pics)
13 people including the gunman were reported killed in a mass killing at the Washington Navy Yard.
America’s Navy stated that the tragedy happened inside the Naval Sea Systems Command headquarters building (Bldg. 197) on the Washington Navy Yard at 8:20 a.m. (Eastern Time) September 16.
Yahoo News reported that the victims ranged in age from 46 to 73, and were either civilians or contractors.
Janis Orlowski, chief medical officer at Washington Hospital Center, said one Metropolitan Police officer and two civilians are being treated there and that they arrived in critical condition.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation or FBI identified the suspect as Aaron Alexis, 34 years old, a civilian contractor from Queens, New York.
Washington Mayor Vincent Gray said Alexis was shot during a gun battle with officers.
Yahoo News reported that Alexis was a full-time reservist from 2007 to 2011 and left the Navy on January 31, 2011, as a petty officer 3rd class and had been working for the fleet logistics support squadron No. 46 in Fort Worth.
A Navy official told Reuters that Alexis received a general discharge from the Navy in 2011 “after a series of misconduct issues.”
A ‘shelter in place’ order was issued for Navy Yard personnel after the shooting.
Access to the Washington Navy Yard will be restricted Tuesday, Sept. 17 to mission essential personnel only as the FBI continues its investigation.
Authorities are still investigating the case to determine the motive of the shooting.
(Please click the photos for larger images)
A photo posted to the feed of Twitter user @timjhogan near the shooting scene of the Naval Sea Systems Command headquarters on Monday, Sept. 16, 2013. (Tim Hogan: @timjhogan via Twitter)
FBI.gov is “Seeking Information” about Aaron Alexis, now deceased, who is believed to be responsible for the shootings at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, DC on September 16, 2013.
Law enforcement officers form a staging area on the streets outside the scene of a shooting at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, September 16, 2013. (Chris Moody/Yahoo News)
Law enforcement officers form a staging area on the streets outside the scene of a shooting at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, September 16, 2013. (Chris Moody/Yahoo News)
Washington DC Mayor Vincent Gray speaks during a news conference as police respond to a shooting at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, September 16, 2013. Up to three gunmen, at least two dressed in military-style clothing, killed several people and wounded at least four others in a shooting spree at the U.S. Navy Yard on Monday, officials said. (REUTERS/Joshua Roberts)
A law enforcement officer with a rifle sits in a helicopter above the scene of a shooting at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, September 16, 2013. (REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)
Evacuees raise their hands as they are escorted from the scene of a shooting at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, September 16, 2013. (REUTERS/Jason Reed)
Law enforcement officers respond to the scene of a shooting at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, September 16, 2013. Several people were killed and others injured when at least one gunman opened fire at the U.S. Navy Yard in Washington D.C. on Monday, authorities said. One Navy official said that four people had died and eight others were injured, but other officials suggested caution over those numbers saying the situation was in flux. (REUTERS/Jason Reed)
A Washington Police Emergency Response Team armored car (R) and other emergency vehicles fill M Street, Southeast, as they respond to a shooting at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, September 16, 2013. Several people were killed and others were injured in the shooting at the Navy Yard in Washington D.C. on Monday. (REUTERS/Joshua Roberts)
Law enforcement officers are deployed on a rooftop as they respond to a shooting on the base at the Navy Yard in Washington, September 16, 2013. The U.S. Navy said several people were injured and there were possible fatalities in the shooting at the Navy Yard in Washington D.C. on Monday. (REUTERS/Jason Reed)
Members of various law enforcement agencies are pictured at the Washington Navy Yard campus in Washington, September 16, 2013. A gunman shot several people at the U.S. Navy Yard on Monday, with possible fatalities reported and the shooter being sought at the Naval Sea Systems Command headquarters, the Navy said. (REUTERS/Jason Reed)
A police helicopter is seen as police walk on the roof of a building as they respond to a shooting at the Washington Navy Yard, in Washington September 16, 2013. A gunman shot five people at the U.S. Navy Yard on Monday, including two law enforcement officers, and the shooter was being sought in a building housing the Naval Sea Systems Command headquarters, officials said. (REUTERS/Joshua Roberts)
Office workers are evacuated from the scene of a shooting at the Navy Yard in Washington, DC, USA, 16 September 2013. At least six people have been killed in a shooting at the US Navy Yard in Washington, base spokesman Ed Buclatin says. Several people have been injured after a shooter opened fire at the Navy Yard this morning. One suspect in the deadly shooting at the Washington Navy Yard was found dead after a firefight with police, while two other men were being sought as ‘possible’ suspects, Washington Police Chief Cathy Lanier said. EPA/SHAWN THEW
A police boat patrols near the scene of a shooting at the Washington Navy Yard on Monday, Sept. 16, 2013, in Washington. At least one gunman opened fire inside a building at the Washington Navy Yard on Monday morning. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)
The building where the mass shooting happened. Please click the photo for larger image. (Ahmad Ali Karim for Ahmad Ali JetPlane Pics)
Large waves generated by Hurricane Sandy crash into Jeanette’s Pier in Nags Head, N.C., Saturday, Oct. 27, 2012 as the storm moves up the east coast. Hurricane Sandy, upgraded again Saturday just hours after forecasters said it had weakened to a tropical storm, was barreling north from the Caribbean and was expected to make landfall early Tuesday near the Delaware coast, then hit two winter weather systems as it moves inland, creating a hybrid monster storm. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
Hurricane Sandy had killed at least 66 people in the Caribbean islands, including 51 in Haiti.
Forecasters said that Sandy is likely to make U.S. landfall on Monday night between Delaware and the New York/New Jersey area.
Sandy will meet two other winter storms and becomes a rare, hybrid “super storm” created by an Arctic jet stream wrapping itself around a tropical storm.
The monstrous Hurricane Sandy is going to be a very big storm when it hit the United States.
Officials warned millions of people in coastal areas to get out of the way.
It will effect the third of the country from the East Coast to the Great Lakes and 50 to 60 millions of people with heavy of rains, high winds and heavy snow.
Sandy could cause lots of damage because it could hit big cities like Boston, New York, Baltimore, Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia.
Waves pound Carolina Beach pier in Carolina Beach, N.C., Saturday, Oct 27, 2012 as Hurricane Sandy churns in the Atlantic Ocean. Hurricane Sandy, upgraded again Saturday just hours after forecasters said it had weakened to a tropical storm, was barreling north from the Caribbean and was expected to make landfall early Tuesday near the Delaware coast, then hit two winter weather systems as it moves inland, creating a hybrid monster storm. (AP Photo/The Star-News, Ken Blevins)
Frances Lukens looks at the tangle of boards and tree limbs piercing her living room ceiling in Lynchburg, Va. on Saturday, June 30, 2012 after a huge oak tree fell directly on the house during a storm the previous night. (AP Photo/The News & Advance, Parker Michels-Boyce)
There were violent storms from Indiana to New Jersey since Friday June 29, 2012.
This is a very bad disaster.
At least 13 people were killed and 3 million people are without power.
Emergencies were declared in Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio, the District of Columbia and Virginia.
In West Virginia, trees fell on both sides of the train tracks.
232 Amtrak passengers were stranded Friday night on a train.
The storms also damaged a prison in Illinois and huge trees fell across streets in Washington area.
A tree toppled by severe storms sits atop a car in Washington’s Dupont Circle neighborhood on Saturday, June 30, 2012 in Washington. More than two million people across the eastern U.S. lost power after violent storms and two people died, including a 90-year-old woman asleep in bed when a tree slammed into her home, a police spokeswoman said Saturday. (AP Photo/Jessica Gresko)Lighting flashes Saturday morning, June, 30, 2012 in Hebron Md.. Violent storms swept across the eastern U.S., killing at least nine people and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands on a day that temperatures across the region are expected to reach triple-digits. (AP photo by Salisbury Daily Times, Kristin Roberts)Mike Wolfe’s pick-up truck lies under a fallen tree in front of his house after a severe storm in Falls Church, Va., Saturday, June 30, 2012. Wolfe’s daughter Samanth Wolfe created the for sale sign as a joke. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)In this photo taken Friday, June 29, 2012 shows a brick wall from the second story of the Christie’s on the Square store in Columbus Grove, Ohio. The bricks fell on and crushed two vehicles as strong winds tore through the region Friday afternoon. (AP Photo/The Lima News, Jay Sowers)People survey storm damage in the Capitol Hill neighborhood in Washington, June 30, 2012. Wind gusts clocked at speeds of up to 79 mph ( 127 kmh) were reported in and around the U.S. capital, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of homes in the Washington area. REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstDebris from the storm-damaged Park Tanglewood apartments, some of which were exposed when high winds tore open a hole in the roof and knocked out the electricity, sits atop cars and utility lines in the parking lot in Riverdale, Maryland, June 30, 2012. Wind gusts clocked at speeds of up to 79 mph were reported in and around the U.S. capital, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of homes in the Washington, D.C., area. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst )The dislodged awning of the storm-damaged Park Tanglewood apartments, some of which were exposed when high winds tore open a hole in the roof and knocked out the electricity, sits in the parking lot in Riverdale, Maryland, June 30, 2012. REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstPowerful storms hit the mid-Atlantic states with hurricane-force gusts Friday, knocking out power to more than one million people in the region. Deborah Lutterbeck reports.
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