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Bread flew off the shelves, salt was loaded onto trucks, and utility workers nervously watched the forecasts on Thursday as a massive winter storm headed toward the eastern two-thirds of the United States.
The massive storm system is expected to include a paralyzing ice storm from Texas into parts of the South, potentially around 30 centimeters (one foot) of snow from Oklahoma to Washington, D.C., New York, and Boston, and then a final blast of glacial air that could drop wind chills to —46 degrees Celsius (—50 degrees Fahrenheit) in parts of Minnesota and North Dakota.
FOTOS: Compras de pánico en Estados Unidos, pan y sal se agotan ante la llegada de una tormenta invernal histórica
Meteorologists warn that the damage, especially in areas that receive large amounts of ice, could rival that of a hurricane.
The storm is forecast to begin on Friday in New Mexico and Texas, then the worst of the weather is expected to head east, before moving up the coast and dumping snow in New England.
The blast of cold air expected afterward means it will take time to thaw, a prospect that is especially dangerous in places where ice and snow weigh down tree branches and power lines, cutting off electricity—possibly for days. Roads and sidewalks could remain icy well into next week.
Sub-zero temperatures are expected as far as Florida, and lows in the north and the upper Midwest will be as cold as possible, even reaching —32 or 34 degrees Celsius (—25 or 30 degrees Fahrenheit), according to meteorologists.
Winter storms can be notoriously difficult to predict—one or two degrees can mean the difference between a catastrophe or cold rain—and meteorologists point out that the locations with the worst weather cannot be determined until the event begins.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency in his state, as did many other governors, although he acknowledged Thursday morning that some forecasts predict disastrous levels of winter weather in Atlanta, while others indicate that the Deep South's largest city will be largely spared.
"That line could move north or south depending on how temperatures evolve and what the future holds for us," Kemp said.
Kemp added that being prepared, no matter what happens, means it won't matter as much where the line ends up.
"Keep filling up your cars, make sure you have what you need at home to stay warm and shelter in place in case the power goes out for a day or two," the governor urged.
The 275 bags of salt for melting ice sold out at the Bates Ace Hardware store in Atlanta in one morning, said manager Lewis Pane. He has made special trips to the warehouse to restock, but supplies are running low everywhere.
Wendy Chambers stopped by the store to pick up batteries and flashlights in case of a power outage.
"We're going to be prepared, right? We're going to be able to read, do things, play games," she said before heading to church choir practice with her granddaughter.
Brine trucks were already treating roads from Oklahoma to Tennessee, and more states are expected to begin treating roads as the start of the storm approaches.
College sports teams moved up or postponed games, and the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball canceled their annual Fan Fest event.
The city of Carmel, Indiana, canceled its Winter Games for fear that residents would suffer frostbite and hypothermia while competing in tricycle relay races on ice and "human curling," in which people slide down a skating rink inside tubes.
[Publicidad]