Thousands of flights have been cancelled and delayed in the wake of Winter Storm Elliott, according to flight tracking data.
The extreme winter storm — which has already killed at least 18 people — has also disrupted passenger flights as well as commercial transportation during the busiest time for shipping.
According to FlightAware data, on 24 December more than 2,800 flights were cancelled, and another 6,500 were delayed.
On Friday, the day the storm hit much of the country, there were nearly 6,000 cancelled flights and approximately 12,000 delays according to the flight tracking site.
Drivers and ground transportation did not fare much better during the storm.
Whiteout conditions caused by the blizzard caused a massive 46-car pileup on the Ohio Turnpike, leaving four people dead.
Greyhound and Amtrak also experienced service disruptions due to the storm. Greyhound cancelled its bus services on certain areas on Saturday and Sunday due to “winter weather” conditions, CNN reported.
Amtrak also reported that it was cancelling some of its train routes through Christmas, but noted that customers who are affected should be able to take a different train on another day without issue.
On the shipping side, UPS, FedEx and USPS have both experienced disruptions to their operations caused by the storm. UPS compiled a list of zipcodes where shipping disruptions were likely and noted that “some delivery and pickup services may be affected.”
FedEx issued a statement saying the company had experienced “substantial disruptions” at two of its processing hubs, and noted that “all FedEx Express locations have been impacted by severe weather and delays can be expected for package deliveries across the US with a delivery commitment through Monday, 26 December.”
USPS said it had shut down 89 post offices, and even shipping giant Amazon was forced to “temporarily close” some of its sites.
Approximately 755,000 homes and businesses were left without power as of Saturday afternoon. Heavy snow, blizzards, and bone-chilling temperatures made the storm particularly dangerous and disruptive.
Temperatures dropped to as low as -40C in some places, and nearly 60 per cent of the US population was subject to some form of winter advisory. The National Weather Service said the storm has prompted “one of the greatest extents of winter weather warnings and advisories ever.”
Perhaps hardest hit was Buffalo, New York, where residents were buried in nearly four feet of snow and left without heat due to power outages throughout the region.
At least seven people have died in Buffalo due to the storm, according to Erie County, New York officials.
According to The Washington Post, the people who died were found in their homes and on the street. Officials warned the number of fatalities could increase once the streets become passable again.
