Up to -51 degrees!

USA: Record cold comes after deadly storms

Most of the fatalities are said to have been trapped in their cars by the rapidly rising floodwaters.

(Bild: Associated Press)

The death toll from the severe storms in the east of the USA has risen to at least 13. Most of them are believed to have drowned. Now a cold spell is also hitting the continent.

According to the website poweroutage.us, around 200,000 households in the eastern half of the USA were still without power as a result of the storms on Monday afternoon (local time), from the border with Canada down to the deep southern states of Alabama and Mississippi. Extreme cold is also expected in the central and northern US over the coming days. The National Weather Service (NWS) predicted a "record cold" of up to minus 51 degrees Celsius.

In the US state of Kentucky alone, eleven people died as a result of the severe winter storm with heavy rainfall and flooding, as the governor there, Andy Beshear, announced on Monday. One death was reported in each of the states of West Virginia and Georgia.

On Sunday, the number of registered fatalities was still nine. Governor Beshear expressed fears on Monday that the death toll could rise even further. He pointed out that his entire state was affected by flooding. The "standing water" had led to the closure of more than 300 roads in Kentucky.

Many of the victims drowned
The previous day, Beshear had announced that most of the victims had drowned after being trapped in their cars by the rapidly rising floodwaters. According to him, the fatalities included a mother and her child.

The Governor of West Virginia, Patrick Morrissey, announced that at least one person had died in his state as a result of the storm. Other people are still missing. In Atlanta, Georgia, the fire department had already announced one death on Sunday. The victim died when a tree uprooted by the storm fell on his house.