国际英语资讯:Spotlight: waves surging, fights cancelled, power out as windstorm hits U.S. East Coast_时事

国际英语资讯:Spotlight: waves surging, fights cancelled, power out as windstorm hits U.S. East Coast

WASHINGTON, March 2 -- Strong winds, heavy rain, surging waves and sporadic snow are wreaking havoc across the U.S. East Coast on Friday, already leaving thousands of flights cancelled, power knocked out in part of Washington D.C. and over 22 million residents under a coastal flood warning.

"Take this storm seriously!" the National Weather Service in Boston warned via Twitter on Friday morning. "This is a LIFE & DEATH situation for those living along the coast, especially those ocean-exposed shorelines."

With the moon full, the tide is at its highest point of the month, and the storm surge could drive as much as 4 feet (about 1.22 meter) of water into coastal neighbourhoods, cnn meteorologists said, noting more than 22 million Americans are now under a coastal flood warning.

国际英语资讯:Spotlight: waves surging, fights cancelled, power out as windstorm hits U.S. East Coast1

"Do not ride out the storm if you are told to evacuate," Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker called for residents to be ready, saying he has called in the National Guard.

"This is one of the more extreme storms in recent memory in terms of coastal flooding and damaging wind potential along the coast, but also includes heavy wet snow and heavy rain as important factors," the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency officials said, predicting tides "will be astronomically high" in the next few days.

In New Jersey, officials are also expecting heavy rain to flood some rivers and streams, affecting drainage.

So far on Friday, at least 2,400 flights have been cancelled across the United States, including more than 1,000 flights in New York's Newark, LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy airports, according to the FlightAware.com. Many travellers were stranded.