Snowstorms continue to hit the central US
A massive snowstorm began hitting the central US states on November 25 last week. The snowstorm appeared just as Americans were preparing to celebrate Thanksgiving. The snowstorm hit the states of South Dakota, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, while "bomb tornadoes" toppled trees, caused power outages and dumped snow in California and Oregon. Authorities in these two states said there were many accidents due to the bad weather.
Traffic was paralyzed, many schools and government agencies had to close.
The storm dumped up to 1 meter of snow in parts of northern Colorado. At least one person was killed and two others injured in a crash on Interstate 70 near the Colorado ski town of Vail. Schools and government offices in the states were also forced to close as a safety precaution.
The blizzard buried the streets under 20 to 40 cm of snow.
Hundreds of flights have been canceled by US airlines, leaving thousands stranded at airports during the busy end-of-year travel season. More than 1,000 travelers were forced to spend the night at Denver's airport after hundreds of flights were canceled. The US weather agency predicts the blizzard will bury streets under 20 to 40 cm of snow. The rapid drop in air pressure could cause waves as high as 11 m, wind gusts of over 120 km/h and heavy snowfall.
US airlines have had to cancel hundreds of flights.
The storm has so far affected California, Oregon, Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska. The storm is now moving towards South Dakota, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The storm is expected to move towards the East Coast of the United States on November 28.
60,000 people evacuated due to consecutive oil explosions in Texas
The explosion occurred in the early morning of November 27 (US time) at TPC Group's petrochemical plant in the port city of Neches, Texas. This is a petrochemical processing plant, used to produce synthetic rubber, plastics and gasoline additives. Then a series of smaller explosions inside the plant shattered windows and blew open the main locked door. Several houses near the plant were also severely damaged. At least three workers have been injured in the consecutive explosions so far.
The explosion occurred in the early morning of November 27 (US time) at TPC Group's petrochemical plant.
TPC spokeswoman Peyton Keith said firefighters had determined to let the fire burn out and were working to prevent it from spreading. Reuters reported that Jefferson County authorities ordered residents of four surrounding towns: Neches, Groves, Arthur and Nederland to evacuate at 8 p.m. GMT on Nov. 27.
The glass windows of houses around the explosion were badly damaged.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) said the plume of smoke from the plant, which was visible for miles, could cause burning eyes, nose and throat, difficulty breathing, headaches and nausea due to volatile chemicals. There was no word on whether water supplies in the area were contaminated.
Smoke from the factory can cause burning eyes, noses and throats.
The explosion caused extensive damage to TPC’s petrochemical processing plant, and is the latest in a series of recent fires at Texas petrochemical processing plants. Jefferson County alone is home to four refineries and 32 chemical plants.
In March, a fire at a chemical warehouse in suburban Houston burned for days. A month later, a fire broke out at the LLC KMCO plant in northeast Houston, killing one person and injuring another. In July, a fire at an Exxon Mobil Corp. chemical plant in Baytown, Texas, injured 37 people.
