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Oklahoma City, Feb. 28 (AP) — Parts of the Southern Plains counted injuries and surveyed damage Monday after tornadoes and other strong winds swept across Oklahoma, killing at least one person, And some residents in Michigan faced a fifth straight day of power outages following last week’s ice storm.
In California, the National Weather Service said the winter storm would continue to move into the state through Wednesday after residents took a brief break from severe weather on Sunday.
A winter storm warning has been issued for parts of the Northeast that have seen little snow this winter. Forecasters warned of persistent strong winds in parts of the Plains, with possible thunderstorms and tornadoes in the Ohio Valley.
Take a look at weather threats across the country:
Tornado forecast, cleanup
Authorities said the storm system produced at least four tornadoes as it swept across central and northeastern Illinois on Monday, with two forming in the western suburbs of Chicago. Rafal Ogorek, a meteorologist in the National Weather Service’s Chicago office, said initial reports indicated damage was limited to fallen trees or shingles ripped from buildings.
At least one person was killed, three were injured and 20 homes were damaged when a tornado struck near the town of Cheyenne in western Oklahoma Sunday night, Roger Mills County Emergency Manager Levi Blackkett reported , and another 4 houses were destroyed.
Statewide, Oklahoma officials received reports of 55 weather-related injuries from area hospitals.
Officials in Norman, Oklahoma, confirmed on Sunday night that 12 people were injured after tornadoes and wind gusts of up to 90 mph (145 km/h). Winds downed trees and power lines around Norman and Shawnee, closed roads and damaged homes and businesses.
Classes at two damaged elementary schools were canceled Monday, Norman Police Chief Kevin Foster said.
Frances Table, from Norman, told KOCO-TV she suffered a small head injury when the storm hit her home, and a large portion of the roof was torn off, sending debris flying. She said it was a miracle her baby was not hurt, even though her daughter had been trapped in the bedroom for some time.
“It was like a snowstorm in the house, with all the debris flying,” Tabler told KOCO. “I’m screaming for my kids.”
The line of fast-moving thunderstorms produced a damaging gust that could be called Derecho, although that is not the official name, said National Weather Service meteorologist Nolan Meister.
Wind gusts of 114 mph (183 km/h) were recorded in Texas, with wind gusts ranging from 70 mph (113 km/h) to 90 mph (145 km/h) in central Oklahoma, Mester said. km/h).
More than 76,000 customers in Oklahoma were without power, but most had power restored Monday morning, the Oklahoma Office of Emergency Management reported.
Nine tornadoes were reported in Kansas, Oklahoma and northwest Texas, weather officials said. A tornado near Liberal, Kansas damaged more than a dozen homes and slightly injured one person, KSNW-TV reported.
Snowstorm conditions in the western United States.
A blizzard warning was in effect Monday for the Sierra Nevada as more rounds of rain and snow moved into California and Nevada.
Avalanche warnings have been issued for remote areas around Lake Tahoe, with up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) of snow expected at high elevations for the next two days and strong winds that could generate waves as high as 5 feet (1.5 meters) National Weather Service in Reno Say, on the heights of the lake. State offices in northern Nevada and the Nevada Legislature in Carson City were closed due to the severe weather.
The new series of storms comes as parts of California are still recovering from last week’s severe storms, adding to the massive snowpack left behind by “atmospheric river” siege in December and January.
A 90-mile (145-kilometer) stretch of US 395 in eastern California’s Sierra was closed Monday night due to snowfall, state transportation officials said. Yosemite National Park announced its closure until mid-week, and many roads in Sequoia National Park were closed. Trans-Sierra freeways are subject to closures and chain requirements.
Los Angeles County declared a cold weather warning for valleys and mountains north of Los Angeles as nighttime temperatures are expected to drop below freezing for most of the week. Shelters have been opened for residents who do not have access to warm spaces.
East of Los Angeles, roads in the resort community of San Bernardino around Big Bear Lake were closed after snow began to fall again. The storm stranded more than 600 students at a science camp in the Big Bear area over the weekend. Students in Irvine, Orange County, were due to go home Friday, but officials decided it was safer for them to remain in the mountains until the road was cleared. The Irvine Unified School District said the California Highway Patrol began escorting buses with children away Monday.
Northbound Interstate 5, the main north-south highway on the West Coast, was closed about 90 miles (145 kilometers) south of the Oregon state line due to cold weather and broken down vehicles. Interstate 80, the main route between San Francisco and Lake Tahoe and Reno, was closed due to the snowstorm.
Storms in Michigan and the Northeast
In Michigan, where last week’s ice storm and high winds were still raging, more than 180,000 customers were without power on Monday, according to PowerOutage.us. That was down from just over 800,000 last week. Crews continue to work to restore all power.
Leah Thomas’ home north of Detroit lost power on Wednesday night and was finally restored Sunday afternoon — only to be out again at noon Monday.
“It’s very frustrating, very frustrating,” she said. “I just hope and pray that it will be back here soon.”
While heavy storms are not expected by regional standards, southern New England is bracing for the heaviest snowfall possible in a mild winter so far.
A winter storm warning covers parts of the Northeast, including Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island, with heavy snow expected Monday night through Tuesday afternoon.
Boston could see up to 5 inches of snow and a messy commute Tuesday morning, according to the Weather Service. Up to 10 inches of rain could fall in western Massachusetts, northwestern Connecticut and southern Vermont. (Associated Press)
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the body of content may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)
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