In photos: ‘Bomb cyclone’ hits US East Coast, emergency declared in several states
The storm has come in the midst of a cold wave during which it has snowed even in warmer southern states like Florida.
Even as much of the United States’ East Coast is in the grip of a harsh cold wave, a phenomenon known as “bombogenesis” could make things worse. On Wednesday, bombogenesis – also known as the “bomb cyclone” – brought snow to the Sunshine State of Florida for the first time in nearly a decade.
Bombogenesis occurs when a storm’s barometric pressure drops extremely rapidly, by 24 millibars in 24 hours, strengthening the intensity of a storm. The storm is likely to bring winds between 65 km per hour and 95 km per hour, and around 12 inches of snow, CNN reported. CNN’s report pointed out that temperatures in places affected by the storm will drop far below freezing, making it much colder than even Mars, where the high is now minus 18.8 degrees Celsius.
Although this sort of storm is seen in North East US every winter, its effects are far more powerful this time around.
At least nine people are believed to have died across the US East Coast since the deep-freeze set in, Reuters reported. The governors of Florida, Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia have declared states of emergency and warned residents to brace for freezing temperatures.
According to the National Weather Service of the United States, there could be a major winter storm with snow and ice, all the way from Florida in the southeast to New England and the Northeast on Wednesday and Thursday.
“The potential exists for dangerous travel, scattered power outages, tidal flooding, and very cold wind chills,” the National Weather Service said.