Filipino communities in US advised to prepare for winter storm

The Philippine Embassy in Washington has advised Filipino communities to take necessary preparations amid the massive winter storm in the United States.

In an advisory issued on Friday, the Embassy encouraged the Filipino communities to heed the warnings of the local officials.

"The National Weather Service warns that a wind chill would cover nearly half of the US population as a ‘once-in-a-generation’ storm threatens to bring snow, wind, ice, and frigid temperatures across the country," the Embassy said.

"Blizzard conditions could reduce visibility to zero, and US officials advise residents in the affected areas to refrain from going out unless absolutely necessary," it added.

Filipinos may contact the Embassy at (202) 368-2767 or (202) 769 8049 for emergencies.

More than a million US power customers were in the dark Friday as a "bomb cyclone" winter storm walloped the country, closing highways, grounding flights, and causing misery for Christmas travelers.

Over 200 million Americans were under weather warnings as wind chills sent temperatures as low as -55 Fahrenheit (-48 Celsius), according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

Around 5,000 US flights were canceled Friday and another 7,600 delayed, according to flight tracking website FlightAware, many at international hubs in New York, Seattle, and Chicago's O'Hare. —VBL, GMA Integrated News