Washington DC jolted by flight turmoil, power cuts, floods

As the US was preparing for one of its harshest weather disasters in recent memory, thousands of flights were canceled or delayed, the electricity was switched off, schools were closed, and residents were told to stay inside.

On Monday, the weather forecasting organization issued a warning of extremely dangerous storms, including tornadoes, hail, and lightning, and advised locals to stay home and get ready for the worst.

After 5 p.m., the rain started to pour in the Washington area, and the skies progressively darkened to an ominous dark gray, signaling the impending severe weather and widespread power outages.

A tornado watch has been issued for the greater Washington, DC, area until 9 p.m.

Flood warnings were also in effect until Tuesday morning. The weather service also issued warnings about the possibility of powerful tornadoes, big hail, and hurricane-force winds.

The storms' extensive reach led to the declaration of comprehensive tornado watches and warnings for ten states, spanning Tennessee to New York. The Washington-Baltimore region was identified by the National Weather Service as the primary area of concern.

According to information from FlightAware that was cited by AP on Monday afternoon, there have been more than 1,300 US aircraft cancellations and more than 5,500 flight delays. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport experienced a significant number of cancellations as it recovered from the delays brought on by Sunday's storms.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, flights were being rerouted to avoid storms that were headed for the East Coast. Flights into and out of Philadelphia and the New York City area may be halted in the event of unfavorable conditions, the company has warned.

Due to the severe weather, more than 5.8 lakh consumers were without power by early evening across Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, Tennessee, and Virginia. According to the Knoxville Utilities Board, the destruction was "widespread and extensive" throughout its service area in Tennessee, and repairing it would likely take several days.

West of Washington, in Loudoun County, Virginia, Dominion Energy stated that over 15,000 individuals were without electricity. Additionally, more than 2,000 people were affected by blackouts, according to Pepco, a power provider for Washington and its suburbs.

“This does look to be one of the most impactful severe weather events across the Mid-Atlantic that we have had in some time," National Weather Service meteorologist Chris Strong said in a Facebook live briefing.

The weather forecasting organization warned that the storms would likely start in the late afternoon. As a result, government employees must be sent home early to avoid having to drive through wind, hail, and tornadoes.