The Power of Eastern Storms Thousands Left Without Power as California Braces for Flooding This title effectively captures the main theme of the article, which is the impact of severe weather events in the eastern United States, including power outages and flooding, while also highlighting the simultaneous threat of an atmospheric river on the West Coast.

The Power of Eastern Storms Thousands Left Without Power as California Braces for Flooding

A powerful storm system has brought significant disruption to the US East, with heavy snow and freezing rain causing widespread power outages and hundreds of traffic accidents. Meanwhile, California is bracing itself for an atmospheric river that could lead to flooding in areas recently ravaged by wildfires.

Eastern Storm Wreaks Havoc on Thousands

The storm system, which affected a swath from Kentucky to Maryland and points farther north, dumped over 14 inches of snow on Iron Gate, Virginia, and 12 inches on White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. According to the National Weather Service, more than 190,000 customers in Virginia and nearly 16,000 in North Carolina lost electricity.

Appalachian Power, which serves a million customers across West Virginia, Virginia, and Tennessee, deployed 5,400 workers to restore power. Flights were canceled or delayed across the United States, with around 250 flights affected at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington.

Flood Threat Looms Large

As temperatures rise, concerns are emerging about rain and melting snow washing into rivers and streams in regions already saturated from previous storms. A flood threat through Thursday morning stretches from eastern Tennessee to southwestern Virginia and other parts of the South.

Vance Joyner, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Blacksburg, Virginia, warned that the main concern will be potential flooding impacts as rivers and streams swell with melting snowpack and rain.

Traffic Accidents Abound

In Kentucky, snowy roads caused a fatal head-on collision on Tuesday. In Virginia, state police reported around 850 crashes on Tuesday and Wednesday, dozens of which involved injuries. Maryland State Police reported 235 crashes and 185 inoperable or unattended vehicles.

Western Storm Causes Chaos

Points farther west were not spared the wintry mess. A separate storm system is expected to dump heavy snow from Oklahoma to the Great Lakes on Wednesday. Government offices were closed in parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri, while some universities canceled classes.

In Missouri, a plane slid off an icy taxiway at St. Louis Lambert International Airport, but no injuries were reported.

California Prepares for Atmospheric River

On the West Coast, California is preparing for an atmospheric river that could flood areas recently ravaged by wildfires. Light rain began falling on Wednesday, with officials in Oregon's Multnomah County extending a state of emergency through at least Thursday and opening six emergency shelters.

In Orange County, southeast of Los Angeles, authorities issued a voluntary evacuation warning for areas affected by a wildfire last year over concerns about potential debris flows during the upcoming storm.

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