Brutal Winter Storm Leaves East Coast Blanketed In Snow As Airports Slowly Reopen

Video and photos taken  near  Boston Harbor showed rivers of icy slush running down the streets . In other photos reportedly taken in the Cape Cod town of Barnstable, floodwaters could be seen surrounding a home  and washing over a road . Similar sights were reported on streets between Boston and Plymouth .

Rising water left many drivers trapped and needing to be rescued from their cars, authorities said.

The Quincy Police Department, located in the Boston metropolitan area, said it had rescued  around 20 people from cars due to floodwaters.

The Boston Fire Department also shared photos on Twitter  showing firefighters rescuing a man from a partially submerged car beneath an overpass.

Schools were ordered closed in New York, parts of New Jersey, Boston and other cities through the region on Thursday, and Boston’s public schools will remain closed on Friday , the city’s mayor said.

More Than A Foot Of Snow In NYC

In New York City, the National Weather Service warned of blizzard conditions throughout the day. The storm left around a foot of snow in parts of Queens and the Bronx, impairing travel. Residents of Manhattan and Brooklyn saw at least 9 inches of snow by 5:30 p.m. local time, and officials said snow gusts would continue throughout the night.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio declared a winter weather emergency Thursday afternoon amid what he described as blizzard-like conditions in parts of the city, particularly in Queens.

“These are tough conditions to move around in, so if you don’t need to be on the road ... you shouldn’t,” de Blasio tweeted . “Everyone needs to take this weather very seriously.” 

He warned at a news conference that frigid temperatures could continue for “days to come” after the snow stopped. Outside temperatures on Friday morning and Saturday night are expected to feel like minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit, de Blasio added.

In Virginia, where a state of emergency  was also declared, state troopers have responded to more than 200 traffic crashes since Wednesday night, Richmond station WTVR reported . No fatalities were reported. Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) and other officials up and down the coast urged drivers to stay off the roads.

More than 90,000 people in Virginia and North Carolina lost power temporarily on Thursday, but officials said 90 percent of those customers would have power

North Carolina’s highway patrol also said it has responded to more than 900 crashes. Officials issued warnings of black ice through the weekend, and urged citizens to check on friends and family and keep pets indoors.

The powerful winter storm, dubbed “Grayson” by the Weather Channel, has been described by weather forecasters as a “bomb cyclone,” as it resulted from a rapid and rare plunge in barometric pressure.

Satellite images of the storm showed that a dusting of snow had settled in regions that don’t often see such extreme weather.

On Wednesday, the storm brought snow to parts of northern Florida for the first time in 30 years. In Tallahassee, where one local homeless shelter has been scrambling to accommodate people, temperatures were expected to dip into the 20s on Thursday night. Parts of central Florida experienced similar temperatures Thursday morning, the weather service reported .

This article has been updated with additional details about the storm and conditions on the East Coast.