Whiteout in eastern US leaves millions without electricity

The weekend blizzards brought down trees and caused travel chaos across a wide arc that swept from Washington DC through New York and north into New England.

The impact was greater than that of Hurricane Irene, the tropical storm that battered many of the same communities two months ago.

At least 12 people were killed as a result of the storm that blew in on Saturday.

Its severity caught many by surprise. A number of states, including New Jersey, Massachusetts and Connecticut, were forced to declare states of emergency as heavy, wet snow caused widespread damage.

Worst-hit areas saw as much as 27 inches of snow fall over a 24-hour period, breaking October records. The weight of the snow brought down power lines across the region, plunging many homes into darkness.

Yesterday, more than two million homes and businesses were still without electricity, as power companies battled to reinstate lines to homes.

“We are in full restoration mode,” said Marcy Reed, president of National Grid Massachusetts.

The number of people left relying on back-up generators or candle light is beginning to fall as temperatures begin to climb and snow melts.

However, officials have warned some homeowners that they will be without electricity for up to a week.

Kathy Zambrano has been told not to expect power until Friday.

The 61-year-old teacher saw 18 inches of snow hit her home in Leominster, Massachusetts, over the weekend.

“It just got progressively worse and with the leaves still on the trees, branches came down under the weight”, she said. “A tree landed on our roof.”

A pre-school building owned by Ms Zambrano fared even worse. “It is like a war zone, with trees everywhere,” she said.

The homeowner is one of millions in the north east left without electricity.

While residents in badly-hit areas continue to suffer from the effects of the unseasonal snowstorm, the plight of travellers has at least eased as the transport network gets back to normal.

Over the weekend, equipment failures at JFK airport in New York and Newark in New Jersey – which serve New York City – added to the flight chaos caused by the storm.

Meanwhile, 12-inches of snow at Bradley International Airport in Connecticut resulted in passengers being stranded for hours on the runways before being escorted to makeshift beds in the terminal building.

The impact of the storm also led to widespread train delays, and on highways north of New York City, state troopers were called in to rescue motorists stranded for up to 10 hours.

Among those who lost their lives in the storm were an 84-year-old Pennsylvania man, who died after a tree struck his home, and a 20-year-old man who was electrocuted by a downed power line in Massachusetts.

In New York, it is thought that as many as 1,000 trees were destroyed in Central Park by the freak weather conditions.

The city also experienced rare thundersnow on Saturday, adding a spooky atmosphere to a number of Hallowe’en-themed parties planned for the day.

Elsewhere, the storm has disrupted plans to go trick-or-treating.

With thousands of schoolchildren getting an unexpected snow day yesterday, officials in some areas cancelled Hallowe’en activities.

Meanwhile, parents have been warned to keep youngsters inside, fearful of broken power lines or unsafe trees.