Powerful storm wreaks havoc on US East Coast

Five states in the eastern US declared a state of emergency hours before the area was pummelled by piles of snow and powerful winds on Saturday.

Residents in some parts of Massachusetts have been forced to seek shelter inside after receiving up to 2.5 feet (75 cm) of snow.

Nearly 6,000 flights in the United States were cancelled over the weekend, with conditions expected to improve on Sunday.

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Heavy snowfall, coastal flooding, and blizzard conditions have been reported in parts of New York and Massachusetts as a result of the storm, which is known as a Nor’easter.

Boston received 23.6 inches of snow on Saturday, tying a previous single-day high.

By the end of the day, coastal areas were expected to receive more than one foot of snow, with up to three feet in parts of Massachusetts, where more than 119,000 homes were without power.

Meanwhile, the National Weather Service (NWS) on Saturday confirmed that the storm had gone through bombogenesis, which means that colder air mixed with warmer sea air, resulting in a rapid drop in atmospheric pressure. As a result of this process, a ‘bomb cyclone’ has been formed.

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At least 75 million people are expected to be affected by the storm. New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Rhode Island, and Virginia governors declared states of emergency, advising residents to stay off the roads for their own safety.

The National Weather Service issued cold weather warnings as far south as Florida, citing “scattered to isolated falling iguanas from trees” as the lizards, which can weigh up to 20 pounds, were temporarily paralysed by the freezing temperatures.

In the whiteout conditions, residents across the eastern seaboard were urged to avoid all unnecessary travel.

A woman was discovered dead in her car by a snowploughs operator on Long Island, according to officials.