Almost half a million Americans from Kentucky to Michigan were in the dark Sunday after a massive front dumped heavy snow across much of the nation's northern tier and slammed parts of the South with powerful thunderstorms and tornadoes.
Ednews reports citing foreign media that at least 13 deaths were reported from the storm, which began by dumping several feet of snow in California's mountains and pushing east, AccuWeather said.
Five deaths were confirmed in Kentucky as wind gusts surpassing 70 mph downed trees and power lines and damaged homes and other buildings, Gov. Andy Beshear said. Power crews in Louisville and around the state labored Sunday after Friday's high-speed wind storm turned off the lights for hundreds of thousands of Kentucky residents.
The system spawned straight-line winds, possible tornadoes and powerful thunderstorms in parts of the South. More than 173,500 homes and businesses were without power Sunday night in Kentucky, according to the tracking website poweroutage.us. About 71,400 were dark in Michigan and some 30,000 in Tennessee.