He said residents of Chicago, Detroit, New York City, Washington D.C. and even Florida have seen “unusually cold” temperatures, but “they’re also going to get much warmer.”
“It’ll be a welcome change coming up, the second half of the week,” Kines said.
Ditjak Ilunga, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, was traveling with his daughters to visit family in Hamilton, Ontario, on Friday. The family’s SUV became trapped in Buffalo, and they spent hours in the car nearly buried in snow as wind whipped outside.
At 4 a.m. on Saturday, the family decided to try to reach a nearby shelter. Ilunga carried his 6-year-old daughter on his back, while his 16-year-old daughter carried their Pomeranian puppy. Ilunga said he cried when they finally reached the shelter.
“If I stay in this car I’m going to die here with my kids,” he told the Associated Press he was thinking at the time. “It’s something I will never forget in my life.”
City officials announced on Christmas Day that residents of the Mississippi capital must boil their drinking water after water lines burst in cold temperatures.
“Please check your businesses and churches for leaks and broken pipes, as these add up tremendously and only worsen the problem,” the city said in a statement. Officials also confirmed that crews were actively working to make repairs, though they did not confirm how long residents should expect to boil their drinking water.