US Winter Storms Cripple Much of Country, Leave Over 500,000 People Without Electricity Amid Cold Winter

The weather is not looking too good for much of the US as winter storms caused plenty of problems all over the country, from power outages to school and road closures. There are also blizzard warnings and flood warnings.

The hardest-hit areas right now are in the South, with over 100,000 people losing power due to the winter storms in Florida and Georgia, while two are dead in Alabama. Tornado watches have also been issued from South Florida to southern Virginia.

Significant damage to homes and businesses has also been reported across Florida and the Carolinas. There is also a threat of severe storms with damaging winds and tornadoes, which is expected to continue after sunset until the storm system pushes off the Eastern Seaboard, according to Fox Weather.

In Alabama, the storms knocked over trees and caused at least one tornado. The heaviest damage happened near the Florida-Alabama border in Houston County, where one senior citizen was killed when a suspected tornado passed by Cottonwood during the morning. Meanwhile, a tree fell on a Sedan near Birmingham, killing the driver.

Over in Georgia, the commute can get deadly, as an Atlanta man was killed after a tree fell during gusty winds in Jonesboro. He was inside a vehicle when a tree fell on it, killing him. This prompted the National Weather Service to issue Severe Thunderstorm warnings for several counties in the state, including the area that includes the always busy Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

At least one tornado tore through the Florida Panhandle, with severe damage being reported to have happened in several condos and houses in Panama City. Some of those hit are still recovering from the damage brought by Hurricane Michael five years ago.

Climate Change Intensifying US Winter Storms, Expert Says

Experts have been warning that the severe weather we are experiencing is a result of climate change, with one expert explaining why. Warmer air can hold more water, and with each additional degree that the atmosphere warms as a result of climate change, we could expect more rain.

"One of the most direct signals of warming of the atmosphere is the higher capacity of the atmosphere to hold water," senior researcher at Columbia Climate School at Columbia University, Andrew J. Kruczkiewicz, told CNN. "And when we see that capacity to hold water, we see an increased risk of intense rainfall events - and we are seeing this is an intense rainfall event."

Heavy Snowfall Pummels Midwest During US Winter Storm

While tornadoes and rainfall battered the South, the Midwest is currently experiencing heavy snowfall, with snow blanketing a wide area that stretches from southeastern Colorado all the way to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

The Midwest is expected to experience up to 12 inches (30 centimeters) of snow, and it could turn deadly as poor road conditions are expected. These can become fatal crashes, with one already being reported in Wisconsin on Tuesday after an SUV driver was killed after his vehicle plowed into a semi-trailer due to the slush making the road slippery.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Major storm on the move to bring blizzards, tornados across the US - TODAY