Two dead after winter storm hammers the US northeast

A severe winter storm in the northeastern United States has claimed the lives of two people in Maryland. The storm is still causing flight delays and extensive power outages in the area. On Sunday afternoon in Calvert County, Maryland, a tree fell onto a road and hit a vehicle, resulting in the deaths of Michael Simpson, 60, and Virginia Quesenberry, 43, according to the sheriff’s office. Some areas in Maryland received up to 16 inches (40 cm) of snow. Meanwhile, Providence, Rhode Island, experienced its largest blizzard on record, with 37.9 inches of snow. Travel bans and school closures remain in effect in Rhode Island and parts of Massachusetts as residents work to recover from the storm. The dangerous weather has also caused significant disruptions to air travel on Monday and Tuesday. More than 5,000 flights were cancelled on Monday, and by Tuesday morning, over 2,000 flights had been cancelled, with nearly 1,000 delayed, as reported by flight tracker FlightAware. Boston’s Logan International Airport and New York’s John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia airports were among the hardest hit. This blizzard is now the ninth largest winter storm recorded in New York City, which received over 20 inches of snow. To manage the hazardous conditions, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani imposed a travel ban on Sunday and Monday to keep the roads safe. He mentioned that 2,600 sanitation workers were clearing the roads, along with 1,400 emergency snow shovelers managing sidewalks and bus stops. Schools in New York returned to in-person learning on Tuesday, while neighboring states New Jersey and Pennsylvania announced delays and virtual classes.