Three dead as massive snow storm pounds eastern US

Dec 19, 2009, 20:50 GMT

Washington - A major snow storm blanketed the eastern United States Saturday, prompting emergency calls in some states, causing chaos at airports, leading to thousands of power outages and stranding hundreds of motorists.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued warnings for severe winter storms as well as coastal floods across the mid-Atlantic states, where the snow was already piling up between 30-66 centimetres.

Residents from the southern US state of North Carolina to as far north as Massachusetts were snowed in, as forecasters called for blizzard conditions, which were likely to continue well into Saturday evening.

One person died late Friday and two others died Saturday as the storm pounded Virginia state, broadcaster CNN reported.

In the national capital, the NOAA issued a blizzard warning as wind gusts were 'expected to create whiteout conditions.'

As he announced a snow emergency, Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty said that storm was probably the biggest that the capital had seen in several years. In Washington, bus services were suspended as were Metrorail trains at above-ground stations.

'We urge everyone, if you don't have to go anywhere, wait. The snow should end early Sunday morning with a 24-hour cleanup,' Fenty announced.

The weather proved to be a dampener for big retailers hoping to cash in on the frantic last weekend of shopping before Christmas.

As several state highways shut down, the National Guard was working to transport stranded motorists to shelters in Virginia, or getting food and water to people stuck in their vehicles.

Hopeful holiday travelers continued to trickle into Washington airports, but several airlines - including Delta, American and Virgin America - were forced to cancel their flights. All the runways at Washington's Reagan National Airport were shut down, while only one runway was operational at the capital's busy Dulles International Airport.

Delays were also reported at other major airports in Philadelphia, Chicago and Baltimore.

In several pockets of Washington, however, a few brave families, children and tourists stepped out to take photographs and play in the snow.

While the rest of Washington literally ground to a halt, the weather didn't deter senators from passing a massive defence spending bill and debating health care reform, which is President Barack Obama's top domestic priority.

The weather forced Obama, who returned from the UN climate summit in Copenhagen Saturday, to ride in a motorcade to the White House instead of taking his helicopter.