Monday, January 17, 2022

Wake-Up Call: Winter Storm Bashes SE, Eastern U-S

Michigan Lighthouse: Before and After Storm

A dangerous storm blew through much of the southeastern U.S. yesterday, bringing high winds, heavy snow, and bone-chilling cold with it. About a quarter of a million people were left without power across the Southern states by yesterday morning, according to Weather.com. The storm, named Winter Storm Izzy by The Weather Channel, then barreled through the Northeast, bringing snow, ice, and extreme cold temperatures with it.
  • In southwest Florida, a tornado touched down near Fort Myers, destroying at least 28 homes and damaging many others early yesterday. Four people were injured, but none seriously.
  • Up to 12 inches of snow fell in parts of western North Carolina. Roads across the state were slick with ice.
  • Snow flurries were seen as far south as the Mississippi-Louisiana border.
  • In Georgia, icy roads and wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour made traveling hazardous.
  • Parts of Virginia and West Virginia reported snowfalls of six to eight inches as of last night.
  • Snow emergencies were declared in three counties in Ohio, including Coshocton, Erie, and Huron counties.
  • The tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut was hit late in the day with a nasty mix of snow, heavy rains, high winds and bone-chilling cold.
  • The New England states were braced this morning for the storm's arrival there.




➤VOLCANO EXPLOSION HAS FAR-REACHING IMPACT: An enormous explosion of an underwater volcano at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean caused repercussions from coastal Japan to California over the weekend. Tsunamis caused by the eruption hit Hawaii and Japan, and unusually high waves were recorded near San Diego, California, and King Cove, Alaska. The tsunami warnings were lifted late yesterday.

 As of last night, emergency workers had not yet reached Tonga, the island nation closest to the extraordinary underwater explosion. A tsunami hit near the island's capital, and both flooding and a rain of volcanic ash were reported. Its population of 100,000 is largely cut off from the rest of the world right now, as phone and internet connections are down.

The volcano erupted on Friday and again on Saturday, sending a plume of ash, gas, and steam more than 12 miles into the air.

➤DEAD HOSTAGE-TAKER IDENTIFIED: The man who took four people hostage in a Texas synagogue on Saturday has been identified. Malik Faisal Akram, a 44-year-old British citizen, was shot dead by members of the FBI Hostage Rescue Team after an 11-hour standoff at the synagogue in Colleyville. All of the hostages are unharmed. Investigators say that the hostage-taker was demanding the release of a Muslim woman in prison in Texas after being convicted of attempting to murder American military officers in Afghanistan.

➤NO RELIEF FROM SUPPLY CHAIN WOES: The supply chain breakdowns that have led to empty shelves in many American stores could get worse this year. According to The New York Times, manufacturers and retailers are worried about China's tough zero-tolerance policy towards Covid. About two million people in China are stuck at home in quarantine, threatening disruptions of work in factories and at ports.

The Winter Olympics are scheduled to take place in Beijing next month. Chinese officials are determined to stamp out Covid before the games begin February 4th.

➤TUSKEGEE AIRMAN PASSES AT AGE 102: Brigadier General Charles McGee, one of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen, died in his sleep yesterday at the age of 102. Over a 30-year military career, McGee completed 409 air combat missions during World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. The Tuskegee Airmen were the first Black aviators to serve in the U.S. military.

➤APPROXIMATELY $1 MILLION WORTH OF JEWELRY STOLEN FROM LORI LOUGHLIN’S HOME: According to E! News, Lori Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, lost $1 million worth of jewelry when their home was broken into earlier this month. They were not at home during the time of the incident. Masked thieves reportedly entered their home by breaking a bedroom window. Authorities say it is hard to identify suspects from the surveillance footage

🎾DJOKOVIC DEPORTED FROM AUSTRALIA: Tennis star Novak Djokovic flew out of Melbourne, Australia, headed for Dubai last night. He has been deported, ending his hopes of a 10th Australian Open men's singles title. Djokovic refuses to be vaccinated against COVID-19, which is currently required for most visitors to Australia.

With the biggest name missing from the Open, odds for the men's championship are now on Daniil Medvedev or Alexander Zverev.




🏈NFL WILD CARD PLAYOFF RESULTS:

Saturday, January 15th
  • Cincinnati Bengals 26, Las Vegas Raiders 19, (AFC)
  • Buffalo Bills 47, New England Patriots 17 (AFC)
Sunday, January 16
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31, Philadelphia Eagles 15 (NFC)
  • San Francisco 49ers 23, Dallas Cowboys 17 (NFC)
  • Kansas City Chiefs 42, Pittsburgh Steelers 21 (AFC)
Monday Night Football game on ESPN: Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams (8:15 p.m. ET)

🏈WELL, THAT WAS EMBARRASSING! The Tampa Bay Buccaneers blew the Philadelphia Eagles off the field 31-15 yesterday in a wild-card game that got the Bucs a step closer to the Super Bowl. Quarterback Tom Brady completed 29 of 37 attempts without an interception and extended is postseason record for touchdown passes to 85.


🏈NICK BOSA HAS A CONCUSSION: The San Francisco 49ers lost defensive end Nick Bosa in the second quarter of last night's game against the Dallas Cowboys. A tackle from the Cowboys' La'el Collins left Bosa sitting stunned on the field. He walked off under his own power but later was diagnosed as suffering from a concussion. The 49ers won, 23-17.


🏈EAGLES' JOSH SWEAT RECOVERING FROM EMERGENCY SURGERY: Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Josh Sweat was missing from last night's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers because he was recovering from emergency surgery, the team announced. The announcement said the surgery last Tuesday was needed to correct "a life-threatening situation." It said Sweat was recovering but "not quite ready" to play.

🏀KEVIN DURANT OUT WITH KNEE INJURY: The Brooklyn Nets announced yesterday that Kevin Durant will miss some games due to a knee injury that occurred during the second quarter of Saturday's game against New Orleans. No date is officially set for his return, but ESPN reports its sources say he could be out for four to six weeks.

🏀DRAYMOND GREEN OUT FOR 2 WEEKS OR MORE: Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors will be out for at least two weeks after doctors diagnosed a soreness in his calf as being related to a problem with a disc in his lower back. He will undergo physical therapy and be reevaluated in two weeks. That means he'll probably miss at least eight more games through the end of this month.

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