Eastern US flooded by "bomb blizzard"

XV Beacon Hotel staff clear snow during the Nor'easter storm in Boston, Massachusetts, USA on January 29 - Photo: REUTERS

On January 29 (US time), many places in the eastern United States witnessed heavy snowfall and strong winds, when one of the strongest winter storms in years caused traffic chaos and power outages in an area with about 70 million people.

According to AFP, major cities such as New York and Boston are being severely affected by this blizzard. On January 29, the US National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed that this blizzard has strengthened into a "bomb cyclone" - an extreme weather phenomenon when atmospheric pressure drops rapidly.

The hardest-hit areas of New York and Massachusetts recorded up to 24 inches (61 centimeters) of snow by early evening on January 29, with more than 95,000 homes in Massachusetts without power.

Cold weather affects the state of Florida in the southeastern United States.

In Boston, a snow emergency has been declared. On Twitter on January 29, Mayor Michelle Wu of the city reminded residents to "stay off the roads if possible."

"This is going to be a historic blizzard. It's the strength of the winds and the amount of snow that makes this blizzard particularly dangerous," Boston City Councilor Ruthzee Louijeune told Reuters.

Several states have declared states of emergency in response. The storm formed in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of North Carolina and South Carolina, and more snow is expected to fall on the morning of January 30 as it moves north toward Maine.

Pedestrians and vehicles cross thick snow in Times Square, New York, USA on January 29 - Photo: AFP

People participate in a snowball fight at Washington Square Park during the Nor'easter storm in Manhattan, New York City, the US on January 29 - Photo: REUTERS

A resident clears snow from his car during the Nor'easter storm in Brooklyn, New York City, US on January 29 - Photo: REUTERS

Ducks swim in a pond during a heavy snowstorm in Stony Brook, New York, USA on January 29 - Photo: AFP

A bus stop at Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA on January 29 - Photo: AFP

Terminal E at Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts, USA is almost deserted during the Nor'easter snowstorm on January 29 - Photo: REUTERS

A couple walks their dog on a snow-covered street in Ocean City, Maryland on January 29 - Photo: AP

The Chrysler Building (center) and many other buildings in New York City, USA were covered in snow on January 29 - Photo: AFP

According to Tuoi Tre