US harsh weather extends its grip
Pastor Dale Morgan
US harsh weather extends its grip*
Harsh winter weather gripping parts of the US in recent days has spread
to the normally balmy south-west, as storms threaten south-eastern states.
At least 65 people have died since storms began last Friday, most in
weather-related road accidents.
Rare snow fell on the hills above the popular Malibu resort in
California, as temperatures reached near-record lows.
Storm warnings have gone out in Georgia and the Carolinas, states
previously little affected by the weather.
Temperatures are expected to remain low for several days, and more snow
is forecast for central states late on Friday.
Power lost
At least one of California's main highways, connecting Los Angeles with
state capital Sacramento, was closed.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in 10
counties, after citrus crops were badly damaged.
As much as three-quarters of the crop has been wiped out, with flowers,
vegetables and other fruit also affected.
Texas has also been badly affected, with schools and roads closed and
hundreds of flights cancelled in Dallas, San Antonio, Austin and Houston.
Ice storms - in which rain falls in temperatures so low it freezes -
knocked out power to half a million people across the country earlier in
the week.
The worst-hit areas were Missouri, where freezing rain left behind a
7.6cm (three inch) coating of ice, and Oklahoma, where tens of thousands
were still without electricity by Wednesday evening.
US President George W Bush has declared states of emergency in both states.
Most of those who have died were killed in weather-related accidents.
But at least one person died from carbon monoxide poisoning - a common
cause of death when people without electricity use fuel-burning stoves
in their homes.
In Washington state and Oregon, five inches (13 cm) of snow fell on
Tuesday, snarling traffic on major highways and forcing motorists to
abandon their cars.