Record-breaking storm leaves thousands stranded

January 9, 1996
Web posted at: 1:20 a.m. EST

BOSTON, Massachusetts (CNN) -- One of the worst winter storms of the century left northeastern United States blanketed in heavy snows Monday. And temperatures plummeted below freezing as far south as Florida, threatening that state's $8 billion per year citrus crop.

The storm moved off the Atlantic Coast Monday night, but not before forcing the closings of schools, businesses, governments, roads, and airports. Even the long-awaited reopening of the federal government has been delayed again -- at least through Wednesday -- as Washington was covered with a foot and a half of snow.

States of emergency were declared in eight states, and at least 50 people died, many from traffic accidents or heart attacks caused by overexertion.

And while the region began the laborious process of digging out, the American Red Cross, forced to close blood donation centers on the East Coast, said the loss of 12,000 to 15,000 donations a day could create a nationwide blood shortage.

Major airports snowed in

Travel, particularly in the northeast, was virtually halted. Twenty-foot drifts created by 60 mph winds locked in New York's Kennedy Airport, and 24 inches over cover shut down LaGuardia. Both airports ordinarily handle more than 2,000 flights a day. The area's third airport, Newark, closed under a record 27.6 inches, leaving some 2,000 travelers stranded.

"It will be Tuesday morning at the earliest before they reopen, and that's an optimistic assessment," said Kevin Kirchman, spokesman for the area's Port Authority.

Also closed for the day were Boston's Logan International airport and the three airports serving the District of Columbia and Baltimore.

Washington's Dulles International and National Airport are scheduled to open at noon Tuesday after being closed two and a half days. Airports in Richmond, Virginia, and Philadelphia reopened Monday night for limited flights.

Amtrak cut back service in the Northeast corridor. By mid-afternoon, the rail service said it was able to maintain its reduced schedule, but some trains were more than an hour behind.

"The basic message is that nothing is running between Washington and Boston but Amtrak," said Cliff Black, an Amtrak spokesman. "We are not running a full schedule, but we are running."

Other areas:

• Icy roads hampered car travel as far south as Georgia, where electrical power problems blacked out 2,500 rural residents. Most schools were closed in the Atlanta area.
• Three feet of snow fell in the mountains of North Carolina and West Virginia.
• In Florida, citrus farmers braced for freezing temperatures -- in the 23 to 27 degree range -- that threatened to seriously damage the 65 percent of the state's citrus crop that is still on the trees.
• Monday morning, snow fell at the rate of an inch an hour in Boston, and total accumulation reached 28 inches by late afternoon. High winds and earlier accumulations caused drifts as high as five feet.
• In Pennsylvania, the governor closed state and local roads in 47 of the state's 67 counties.
• Across southern Ohio and West Virginia, schools and businesses were at a standstill as residents attempted to dig out. More than a foot of snow fell in Ohio, closing some roads temporarily.

"This is a whopper of a storm," said Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Mark Schweiker. "Take time out, get with the kids, maybe you can build a snowman. Enjoy the shoveling."

The roof of a T.J. Maxx clothing store in Edison, N.J., collapsed under the weight of piled-up snow Monday morning, and a partial roof collapse caused a gas leak at a nursing home in Clinton, Maryland. No injuries were reported in the incidents, but all 125 residents were evacuated from the nursing home.

New York Gov. George Pataki ordered 16 state armories to open to provide shelter for stranded travelers, and deployed more than 400 National Guard troops and 100 state-owned vehicles to help local officials cope with the emergency.

And residents of Buffalo, New York, renowned for its snow storms, got a lucky break with clear skies Monday. The city has already had 88.5 inches of snow since October, including 37.9 inches which fell in a one-day storm in December.

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