Thursday, January 19, 2012

The governor of Washington state has declared a state of emergency, authorizing the use of National Guard troops, if necessary, in the aftermath of a snow and ice storm that has paralyzed much of the state.

Tens of thousands of people lost power, and hundreds of cars slid off roads. The Seattle airport was shut down this morning, delaying or canceling most flights before a runway was reopened. Lines of people snaked around nearly every ticket counter.

The storm claimed at least two lives. One victim was a child whose body was pulled from a creek in Oregon after a car was swept away from a grocery store parking lot. His mother is still missing. Another person was killed by a falling tree east of Seattle.

As temperatures warm up in the days ahead, authorities are worried about the potential for flooding.