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Deep South in Crosshairs of 'Historic' Storm

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One hundred million Americans from the Deep South to the mid-Atlantic are preparing again for extreme weather. Forecasters say snow and ice could cripple cities and endanger lives.

In Texas, four people have already died in traffic accidents on icy roads.

The latest storm, which some are calling "historic," is just another piece of severe weather in what's become a record-breaking winter in many communities.

In the upper Midwest, Lake Superior is almost 90 percent frozen and could freeze over this year for the first time since 1996.

Meanwhile, in much of the South, authorities are warning people to stay home.

"Our goal is to be overprepared and underwhelmed by the storm," North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory said.

Ice is the big concern. It could bring widespread power outages, especially in the southern states where so many trees and limbs hang over power lines.

"This is one of Mother Nature's worst kind of storms that can be inflicted on the South and that is ice. It is our biggest enemy," Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal said.

Forecasters say ice will coat six states in a dangerous glaze.

In Atlanta, commuters stayed off the roads on Monday, hoping to avoid the disastrous traffic jam of two weeks ago. Many have been getting ready.

"We are getting a little gas just in case we lose power so we fire up the generator," Atlanta resident Paul Branson.

"I've just got bread, cereal, crackers, soup -- just things you can make pretty easily," another resident said.

Cities up and down the I-95 corridor are also preparing for snow. As much as a foot is expected in some areas.

Delta Airlines has already canceled more than 2,000 flights, most of them in Atlanta. Amtrak and the bus companies have also suspended most of their service south of Washington.

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About The Author

Heather
Sells

Heather Sells covers wide-ranging stories for CBN News that include religious liberty, ministry trends, immigration, and education. She’s known for telling personal stories that capture the issues of the day, from the border sheriff who rescues migrants in the desert to the parents struggling with a child that identifies as transgender. In the last year, she has reported on immigration at the Texas border, from Washington, D.C., in advance of the Dobbs abortion case, at crisis pregnancy centers in Massachusetts, and on sexual abuse reform at the annual Southern Baptist meeting in Anaheim