00:27This week,
00:28a historic blizzard brought one of the most powerful regions in the world to a complete
00:34standstill.
00:35The U.S. Northeast, home to New York City, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, was hit by a
00:41winter storm so intense that over 11,000 flights were canceled and more than 500,000
00:48people were left in the dark.
00:50This wasn't just a snow day.
00:52This was infrastructure under pressure.
00:55A powerful late-winter system swept through the region, dumping more than a foot of snow
01:00across at least eight states.
01:03In some places, much more.
01:05In Manhattan's Central Park, about 20 inches of snow fell between Sunday and Monday.
01:10Out on Long Island, Islip saw more than 22 inches, but the real headline came from Providence.
01:1632.8 inches.
01:18That's not just a big number.
01:20That breaks a record set during the famous blizzard of 1978.
01:25Meteorologists called this one of the most intense late-season snowstorms in years.
01:30And then, the travel system collapsed.
01:33Airlines canceled or grounded more than 11,000 flights between Sunday and Tuesday.
01:39Major airports in New York and Boston filled with stranded passengers.
01:43At John F. Kennedy International Airport, wind gusts hit 47 miles per hour.
01:48Out on Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, gusts reached 70 miles per hour.
01:53That's strong enough to ground planes and snap tree limbs.
01:56Train travel wasn't safe either.
01:59Amtrak suspended service between New York and Boston through Monday night.
02:03Thousands of travelers were left with one option.
02:06Wait.
02:06But the real crisis wasn't at the airport.
02:09It was at home.
02:10At the height of the storm, more than 519,000 homes and businesses, from Virginia to Massachusetts,
02:17lost power.
02:18Heavy, wet snow weighed down power lines.
02:21Tree branches snapped.
02:23Transformers failed.
02:24New Jersey reported over 93,000 outages.
02:28But Massachusetts was hit hardest, with more than 282,000 customers in the dark.
02:33Utility crews worked nonstop.
02:36Officials warned restoration could take days.
02:39On the roads, conditions turned dangerous fast.
02:42Whiteout conditions made visibility near zero.
02:45Several states imposed travel bans.
02:47In Massachusetts, officials reported abandoned cars blocking major routes.
02:51Snowplows couldn't move.
02:53Tow trucks couldn't reach stranded passengers.
02:55Governor Mara Healy urged residents to stay off the roads for the safety of emergency crews.
03:01By Monday afternoon, the snow began to ease.
03:04In New York City, officials lifted restrictions on streets, highways, and bridges.
03:08Schools announced they would reopen.
03:10But the aftermath remained.
03:12Businesses operated with limited staff.
03:15Commuters struggled.
03:16Power crews raced against time.
03:18And even the energy markets felt it.
03:21Natural gas futures surged nearly 7% as heating demand spiked.
03:25But then prices pulled back.
03:27Why?
03:27Because when half a million customers lose power, they can't use energy.
03:32Wholesale electricity prices stayed relatively stable.
03:35Closures actually kept demand lower than expected.
03:37This storm wasn't just about snow.
03:40It was a stress test.
03:42For airlines.
03:43For power grids.
03:44For emergency response.
03:45For cities that rarely truly stop.
03:48And for a few days, the Northeast did just that.
03:52Frozen.
03:53Grounded.
03:54In the dark.
03:58einein.
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04:12Deal. For
04:17money. Jane
04:18lashes. Where
04:18months later. Yahoo
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04:18P filho. Jewel.
04:18Alzheimer.artashaw.
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