AT least 15 people are dead as brutal ice, harsh wind, and dangerously cold temperatures have wracked the country in an arctic blast.
A week-long arctic outbreak is bringing the coldest weather this winter has seen from the North Pole down to multiple states across the country.
More than 65 million Americans have been issued cold weather alerts in 13 states from Texas to Minnesota.
The extreme weather has brought freezing rain to states including Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia.
The flash floods in Kentucky have killed at least 12 people, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear confirmed on Monday.
“I’ve got more tough news. The death toll in Kentucky has now risen to 12,” Beshear said on X.
“We must remember, this isn’t just a number — these are Kentuckians who will be missed by their families and loved ones.”
In addition to the 12 killed in Kentucky, another victim died in the floods in West Virginia, Governor Patrick Morrisey said.
A person was killed when a large tree fell onto a home in Atlanta due to the storm on Sunday, the city’s fire department confirmed.
Another falling tree in Philadelphia killed a 65-year-old woman on Sunday, according to CBS affiliate KYW-TV.
At a storm briefing on Sunday, Beshear warned all of Kentucky had standing water in different areas that impacted over 300 roads.
Beshear said most of the people killed in the state drowned after being trapped in their cars by fast-rising waters.
The victims included a mom and her child.
[bc_video account_id=”5067014667001″ application_id=”” aspect_ratio=”16:9″ autoplay=”” caption=”Shocking moment alligator is found FROZEN in ice lake as bitter cold and rare snow strikes US Deep South” embed=”in-page” experience_id=”” height=”100%” language_detection=”” max_height=”360px” max_width=”640px” min_width=”0px” mute=”” padding_top=”56%” picture_in_picture=”” player_id=”pV1KxHf2t” playlist_id=”” playsinline=”” sizing=”responsive” video_id=”6367825130112″ video_ids=”” width=”640px”]FROZEN CARS
The flooding was so extreme in Detroit, Michigan, that people had to be rescued from their homes, according to ABC affiliate WXYZ.
Frozen cars in Detroit were stuck in icy flood water standing at least two feet high, a terrifying video posted on X showed.
The chilly rain will be followed by snow flurries before record-low temperatures are expected to hit the US in the coming polar vortex.
A polar vortex is swirling cold air around the North and South Poles that can be pushed down into the South.
In a normal winter, the polar vortex is stretched into the US maybe two or three times, according to the Associated Press.
However, this is the tenth icy event so far this winter – and it’s set to be the coldest.
“Everything, all the stars align, all the wind directions in the atmosphere are dragging the cold polar air out of the Canadian Arctic,” Meteorologist Ryan Maue said, according to the AP.
“It’s the depths of winter. Everything signals extreme biting, winter cold.
“Obviously this isn’t the first polar vortex episode of the winter, but it looks to be the most severe.”
The polar vortex will move temperatures well below zero for states across the Midwest and East Coast.
Temperatures are expected to plunge to -45 degrees Fahrenheit with wind chill in areas including northeastern Montana and North Dakota.
[quote credit=”Ryan Maue” credit-meta=”Meteorologist”]Your face will fall off at these temperatures.”[/quote]The wind chill is expected to make the temperatures even lower.
Areas in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota face an “extreme cold warning,” according to the National Weather Service.
“Your face will fall off at these temperatures,” Maue warned on X.
The NWS forecasts that 89% of the US will be below the freezing mark this week.
