"Bomb Cyclone" batters eastern US, kills 17

At least 17 people have been reported to die in a `Bomb Cyclone` winter storm that has caused travel chaos in the north-east zone of the United States.

International media reported that about 4,000 US flights were canceled on Thursday due to the storm and snow covered in the north-eastern US seaboard as well as eastern Canada.

After the snowfall ends, temperatures are expected to fall as frigid air lingering over the North Pole heads towards the US mid-Atlantic region.

Weather experts said that parts of the US may record their lowest-ever temperatures on Friday and Saturday.

The National Weather Service said that heavy snowfall rates will spread across New Hampshire and through southern/central Maine through early this evening.

They also said that due to heavy snowfall rates, the intensifying storm will result in strengthening winds, producing blizzard conditions for coastal regions of New England. 

Coastal flooding has already begun in some areas of the state and weather forecasters warn that it may take days to drain back the water into the ocean.

The National Weather Service has warned Massachusetts residents not to stand on icebergs as they float down in city streets.

They predicted that the hurricane force winds of up to 60mph (95km/h) are to the north-eastern US coastline.

US railway operator Amtrak is running on a late schedule, and interstate buses are also being canceled.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency on Thursday and said that the situation has continued to deteriorate.

He also said that It is almost impossible to clear roads when you have those high wind gusts because as soon as you clear the road the snow, the wind literally just brings the snow back on to the road.

The storm is forecast to undergo rapid cyclogenesis over the Atlantic Ocean throughout Thursday and the current projections show that northern areas of New York have the highest risk of significant impacts from strong winds and heavy snow.

Schools are closed in NewYork City, Philadelphia, Boston, the Carolinas, Maryland, and Virginia due to the danger of hypothermia, frostbite and traffic accidents.

DailyBangladesh/Adnan/Nishi