Polar storm in America: 30 dead and life completely paralyzed
The death toll from the unprecedented polar vortex and severe cold wave sweeping across the United States has risen to 30, in a climate disaster that has cast a long shadow over vast swaths of the country. The toll includes seven people who died in a plane crash Sunday night amid harsh weather conditions and near-zero visibility.
Power outages and paralysis of daily life
A persistent polar vortex left more than half a million homes and businesses without power Tuesday morning, according to data from the specialized website PowerOutage. The outages were concentrated in southern states, particularly Mississippi and Tennessee, where the weight of accumulated ice caused power lines, not designed to withstand such extreme conditions, to collapse.
Weather forecasts indicate a further sharp drop in temperatures in the coming days, as a result of the incursion of a very cold polar air mass, especially in the northern regions, where the perceived temperature due to strong winds may reach 45 degrees Celsius below zero, posing a real danger to the lives of the population.
What is a polar vortex?
To understand the context of this event, this storm is linked to a phenomenon known as the "polar vortex," a massive mass of cold air that typically swirls over the Arctic. Under normal conditions, the jet stream keeps this mass in the north, but when the jet stream is disrupted, the vortex extends southward toward the United States, bringing with it freezing temperatures.
Scientists believe that the increasing frequency and intensity of these disturbances may be linked to climate change and global warming, which disrupt atmospheric systems, although the scientific debate about the direct causes is still ongoing.
Loss of life and economic impacts
Severe weather conditions and heavy snowfall exceeding 30 centimeters in approximately 20 states have brought the transportation sector to a near standstill. More than 22,000 flights have been canceled since Saturday, and operations at major airports in Washington and New York have ground to a halt, inflicting significant daily losses on the US economy.
In terms of human losses, the causes of death varied between traffic accidents due to slippery roads, skiing accidents, and death due to hypothermia in states such as Louisiana, whose residents are not used to such extreme cold.
Political debate over climate
The disaster was not without political tensions, as former President Donald Trump exploited the event to question the phenomenon of global warming again, asking through his "Truth Social" platform where the "warming" is in light of this cold, which contradicts the scientific explanations that confirm that climate extremes (including severe snowstorms) are one aspect of climate change.
Authorities have declared a state of emergency in about 20 states, as well as the capital, Washington, in an effort to speed up relief operations and repairs, amid warnings that power outages could last for several days in the worst-affected areas.
