Rescue teams are searching for victims after an avalanche at Palisades Tahoe, a California ski resort near Lake Tahoe. One person has died and another has been injured in the incident. The deceased victim has been identified as 66-year-old Kenneth Kidd from Point Reyes, California. The injured skier has not yet been named. Thankfully, no one else is missing. The mountain was closed for the day due to severe weather conditions, with gusts of up to 110mph (177kph) recorded at the summit of Alpine Meadows, the neighboring sister resort of Palisades.
This avalanche occurred as a major storm, accompanied by snow and strong winds, moved into the region. This storm follows a series of powerful winter storms that have impacted parts of the eastern US and Canada. These previous storms have resulted in at least five deaths and have left over half a million people without power.
In addition to the avalanche, other severe weather incidents have been reported across the country. An 81-year-old woman was killed in Cottonwood, Alabama, when her mobile home was lifted from its foundation by a suspected tornado. In Clayton County, Georgia, a man died when a tree fell on his car during heavy rain. Another man in Birmingham, Alabama, was crushed to death by a falling tree. A 17-year-old female driver lost control of her car in Missouri and was killed after colliding with an overpass and a tractor-trailer. In North Carolina, a suspected tornado struck a mobile home park, resulting in one death and two critical injuries. Storm-related injuries were also reported in Florida.
The severe weather conditions have caused widespread power outages, with over 630,000 households in the eastern US, from Florida to New York State, currently without electricity. Several states have declared a state of emergency, and evacuations have taken place in New York City. The storm has also caused coastal flooding in New Hampshire and damage in Bamberg, South Carolina.
The Midwest has been hit with heavy snowfall, leading to dangerous road conditions and accidents. In Wisconsin, an SUV driver died in a collision with a semitrailer on a slushy, snowy state highway. In Michigan, a woman lost control of her minivan on a slushy road and collided with an SUV, resulting in her death. During her transport to the hospital, the ambulance was struck by another vehicle, requiring a second ambulance to complete the journey.
The severe weather conditions have caused disruptions and safety concerns across the country, highlighting the need for caution and preparedness during such events.