NORFOLK, Va. — Wintry road conditions have resulted in numerous accidents across Virginia and North Carolina, with a particularly severe incident on an interstate highway involving over 50 vehicles. Authorities emphasized the importance of staying off the roads on Thursday to allow emergency crews to manage the hazardous conditions effectively.
In North Carolina’s Orange County on Wednesday afternoon, two separate collisions halted traffic on Interstate 40, where several vehicles were subsequently rear-ended. Among those involved, a tractor-trailer struck a passenger vehicle, leading to a tragic fatality as confirmed by the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. Overall, 53 vehicles participated in a total of 12 accidents in this area. The driver of the tractor-trailer was subsequently charged with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle and driving at unsafe speeds given the weather conditions.
Sgt. Christopher Knox reported that nearly 1,200 vehicle collisions were recorded statewide by the highway patrol on Wednesday. Additionally, crashes led to traffic closures on parts of Interstate 95 and I-85 near Raleigh, North Carolina. In Virginia, state police logged nearly 500 incidents since the onset of the storm, including at least 45 crashes with injuries, although no fatalities were reported.
Emergency responders in Suffolk, Virginia, managed to rescue two individuals from an SUV that had plunged into the water on Wednesday. Dramatic images shared by the city’s Department of Fire & Rescue depicted rescuers extending a ladder to reach the vehicle’s roof, assisting one of the stranded individuals in safely crossing over to the ladder.
As of Thursday morning, about 7,500 customers in North Carolina were experiencing power outages, particularly in eastern-central regions that had received freezing rain and ice. Flight disruptions were also significant, with around 1,800 flights canceled or delayed throughout the United States, including roughly 250 flights at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina, according to flight-tracking data.
Following substantial snowfall in Virginia on Wednesday, meteorologists anticipated more snow on Thursday, potentially adding up to half an inch. Reports to the National Weather Service indicated approximately 12.5 inches of snow in the Greenbrier area south of Norfolk and about 4 inches observed in Richmond, as reported by meteorologist Nancy Moll from the Wakefield office.
An Arctic air mass has encompassed much of the central United States, bringing record-low temperatures to various locations. The Weather Prediction Center noted that some areas in the Plains and the Lower Mississippi Valley might experience unprecedented cold temperatures for this time of year. In Detroit, repairs are underway for a significant water main break, which has left many residents without power or heating amid sub-freezing conditions.
