It stretches from the Dakotas through Maine, with snow expected as far south as Alabama and Georgia. The Midwest was the hardest-hit region, as temperatures plunged below zero Fahrenheit (minus 18 degrees Celsius). By nightfall the mercury was hovering at 0F in Chicago, 7F (minus 14C) in Detroit and minus 21f (minus 29C) in Minneapolis. Local television pictures showed the Chicago River and Lake Michigan filled with chunks of ice. The brutal blast known as the polar vortex is a stream of cold air that spins around the stratosphere over the North Pole, but whose current has been disrupted and is now pushing south into the United States. Officials warned Chicago residents, accustomed to chilling winters, to expect an unusually deep and dangerous freeze. Even the city’s supply of its signature deep-dish pizza was affected: The Lou Malnati’s chain announced it would stop taking delivery orders at 8 p.m. on Tuesday. "This could possibly be history-making," said Ricky Castro, a … [Read more...] about Polar vortex freezes US Midwest with snow, dangerously cold air
Us midwest
At least 11 dead as tornadoes strike US midwest
A deadly string of tornadoes cut a swath of destruction across the US midwest, killing at least 11 people and threatening scores more as a massive storm pushed eastward early Thursday. Homes were smashed to bits, cars were tossed into lakes, trees were uprooted and shops were reduced to rubble in towns from Nebraska to Kentucky as the powerful system whipped up strong winds, hail and ominous funnel clouds. The town of Harrisburg, Illinois was the hardest hit after it was ripped apart by a deadly twister that stayed on the ground for miles, striking while most were still sleeping at around 4:30 am (1030 GMT) on Wednesday. At least six people were killed and more than 100 injured in this southern Illinois town of 9,000. The monster twister packed winds up to 170 miles (270 kilometers) per hour and damaged or destroyed up to 300 homes and 25 businesses, smashing a strip mall to bits and tearing a wall off the local hospital. "A lot of the houses are unreal, it's like a war zone," … [Read more...] about At least 11 dead as tornadoes strike US midwest
Hundreds of US children treated for respiratory virus
Hundreds of children across the US have been treated for a rare respiratory virus and more cases are expected in the next few weeks, doctors have said. The enterovirus, EV-D68, is believed to be the cause of the outbreak and can cause severe respiratory illness. Twelve states in the US Midwest have reported cases over the past month, with dozens of children admitted into intensive care. Frequent hand washing and good hygiene help protect against the virus. Enteroviruses are common and usually do not require hospital care. The symptoms typically manifest as an intense summer cold, with the number of infections declining in September. But EV-D68, which was first recorded in California in 1962, is less common in the US and can cause mild or severe respiratory illness. Over the past month, doctors in a number of states have reported an unusually high number of cases where symptoms have developed into acute respiratory distress and where the patient has needed hospitalisation, and in some … [Read more...] about Hundreds of US children treated for respiratory virus
Deaths from heroin, opioid drugs in US rise sharply
CHICAGO - The Obama administration yesterday emphasised the need for funding to treat opioid and heroin addiction, releasing new statistics showing explosive growth in overdose deaths. From 2010 to 2014, the number of heroin overdose deaths in the United States more than tripled, while deaths from opioid drugs such as fentanyl --which killed the singer Prince -- almost doubled, according to a new report by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Drug overdoses now kill more Americans than car crashes. "The death and destruction connected to heroin and opioids is indeed unprecedented and horrific," DEA Acting Administrator Chuck Rosenberg said in a statement. "The problem is enormous and growing." More than 16,000 died in 2014 alone from heroin and opioid drug abuse. Nearly half a million people that year were addicted to heroin. Heroin and opioid abuse are related. Addiction to an opioid drug such as Oxycodone, Hydrocodone and Methadone -- three drugs most commonly involved in … [Read more...] about Deaths from heroin, opioid drugs in US rise sharply
New year could bring record low temperatures to US Midwest, East Coast
People cross 6th Avenue and 42nd Street as a cold weather front hits the region, in Manhattan, New York, U.S., December 30, 2017. Photo by Reuters/Eduardo Munoz Bitterly cold weather will usher in the new year for much of the United States east of the Rocky Mountains this weekend, bringing record low temperatures to the Midwest, making travel difficult and putting a chill on New Year’s Eve celebration The mercury in New York City’s Times Square was expected to drop to about 10 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 12 Celsius) with a wind chill at nearly 0 F (minus 18C) during the final hours of 2017, the National Weather Service said, testing the willpower of hundreds of thousands of New Year’s Eve revelers. In the heartland, next week could bring low temperatures last recorded 130 years ago to parts of Nebraska, said David Eastlack, a meteorologist with the weather service. That includes a record low for the date of minus 22F (minus 30C) for Tuesday. “The bitter … [Read more...] about New year could bring record low temperatures to US Midwest, East Coast