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REUTERS
CHARLESTON
A rare winter storm hit the US Southeast on Wednesday, bringing Florida's capital its first snow in three decades and snarling travel, while New England braced for a"bombogenesis" whopper forecast to bring heavy accumulations Thursday.
Governors in states from Florida to Virginia warned residents to expect icy roads and unseasonable freezing temperatures. Georgia Governor Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency in part of the state, while Florida Governor Rick Scott ordered warming shelters opened for residents.
In historic Charleston, South Carolina, the winter storm shuttered carriage horse tour companies on Wednesday, city spokesman Jack O'Toole said.
A day earlier, a carriage horse slipped and fell on a patch of ice during a tour.
Residents in nearby Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on Tuesday headed to grocery stores in droves to stock up on food and supplies at local groceries, according to Nicholas Nichols, an employee at Publix grocery store.
The wintry mix and low wind chills could cause widespread power outages and leave roads icy, making commuting treacherous for millions of Americans from northern Florida to southern Virginia, the National Weather Service said in a series of warnings.
