Thousands of flights delayed across US, one dead in deadly tornado as storms batter holidaymakers Reuters
Author: Rich McKay
(Reuters) – Bad weather disrupted holiday travel across the United States on Saturday with deadly tornadoes in the Southeast and heavy snow and wind on the West Coast, delaying or canceling thousands of flights across the country.
More than 7,000 U.S. flights were delayed Saturday, according to tracking site FlightAware, and more than 200 were canceled.
About a third of flights were delayed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, according to FlightAware, and nearly half of flights departing from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston were delayed.
At least 10 tornadoes touched down in the southeastern US states of Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi on Saturday, leaving one person dead near Houston, the National Weather Service and local police said.
“Those numbers are probably going to go up,” said forecaster Aaron Gleason of the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center.
One death and four injuries were reported Saturday in Brazoria County, Texas, about 45 miles south of Houston, according to the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office.
Officials say many homes and schools were badly damaged or destroyed. Images on social media show the scattered ruins of homes and broken trees and poles strewn across streets and lawns.
To the west, strong winds gusting up to 150 mph in the high elevations of Tahoe Basin, California and 50 mph in lower elevations hit the area this weekend, with heavy rainfall expected from San Francisco to Portland, Oregon, forecasters said.
Between four and six inches of rain are expected before New Year’s Eve and up to 3 feet of snow in Lake Tahoe, forecasters say.
“Damaging winds could bring down trees and power lines,” the weather service warned. “Widespread power outages are possible.”
