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| Weather
News |
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| Deadly ice storm hits central US |
| Ice storms that have killed at least 21 people in the United States are continuing to batter the country
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| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
, 15-January-2007
10:21:42 AM |
| A state of emergency has been declared and the National Guard called out in Missouri after the storms knocked out power to 200,000 homes.
Churches cancelled Sunday services and businesses closed early or stayed shut.
Weather forecasters say the storm system will head north-east, threatening to bring more than a foot (30cm) of snow to New England.
Ice storms occur when rain falls during very low temperatures, causing it to freeze almost instantly as it hits a surface, resulting in ice layers sometimes several inches thick.
Federal assistance plea
The extreme weather downed trees, traffic lights and power lines and blocked roads in Missouri and Oklahoma, where some 100,000 homes are without electricity.
There, about 350 national guardsmen went door to door to check on residents in the hardest-hit areas, and helped to clear icy roads of branches and power lines.
Oklahoma's governor, Brad Henry, has asked the federal government for assistance in handling the consequences of the storm.
In Texas, 415 flights were cancelled on Sunday at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.
Record-breaking cold weather even hit California, which usually has mild temperatures year-round.
Citrus fruit growers in parts of the state are using wind machines to protect their fruit from frost damage.
The National Weather Service said it was "a very, very big cold front".
It said the storm is gathering moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and cold air from the Arctic, and is expected to hit the east coast on Tuesday.
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