30 dead in blizzard as US struggles to cope

Major US East Coast cities struggled on Monday to return to normal following a massive weekend blizzard that dropped about 60.96 cm of snow on New York and Washington and left 30 people dead.

The nation’s capital was at a standstill after federal government offices were ordered shut on Monday. Schools in the district and surrounding suburbs were also closed and the US House of Representatives cancelled all votes until next week.

Washington’s mayor, Muriel Bowser, urged residents to stay off the streets while crews cleared snow from secondary roadways, parking lanes and highway shoulders.

She said on Monday there were “several days” of clean-up still ahead and urged residents to stay home if they can. The Washington metro system, on limited service early on Monday, will open all its stations within the city at 1600 GMT, Ms Bowser said. Washington’s subway resumed limited service on Monday, offering free travel in an effort to encourage the use of mass transit over driving.

John F. Kennedy International Airport partially resumed its services with Air India’s plane being the first one to land at the airport.

Among those whose travel was disrupted by the blizzard was vice-president Joe Biden, whose airplane made an unscheduled detour to warm and sunny Miami as he travelled from meetings in Turkey early on Sunday, unable to land in snowed-under Washing-ton.

The massive blizzard is likely to cause “multi-billion” dollar economic losses. reinsurance broker Aon Benfield said on Monday.