On Saturday, thousands of flights nationwide were delayed or cancelled due to severe weather, including deadly tornadoes in the southeast and strong winds and snow on the west coast.
According to the tracking website FlightAware, the United States experienced over 200 cancellations and over 7,000 delays on Saturday.
According to FlightAware, almost half of the flights departing from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston experienced delays, and approximately one-third of the flights at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta experienced delays.
Based on the National Weather Service and local law enforcement, at least ten tornadoes made landfall in the southeastern US states of Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi on Saturday, killing one person close to Houston.
“Those numbers will probably go up,” said Aaron Gleason, a forecaster with the Storm Prediction Center of the National Weather Service.
About 45 miles south of Houston, in Brazoria County, Texas, the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office reported one death and four injuries on Saturday.
Officials reported that numerous homes and schools suffered either complete destruction or serious damage. Social media posts display pictures of broken utility poles, trees, and home wreckage all over lawns and streets.
Forecasters said heavy rainfall is expected from San Francisco to Portland, Oregon, and high winds with gusts of up to 150 mph in the high elevations of the Tahoe Basin in California and 50 mph at lower elevations hit the area this weekend.
Forecasters predict up to three feet of snow in Lake Tahoe and four to six inches of rain before New Year’s Eve.
The Weather Service issued a warning that “damaging winds could blow down trees and power lines.” “Power outages could be widespread.”
