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At least one person has been confirmed to have died as a result of the 2,000-mile-wide storm swept across the United States this week, with one possible death from hypothermia reported in Oregon.
The storm, which at one point had more than 60 million Americans under weather advisories, continued to rear its ugly head Thursday, dropping snow, rain and hail across most of the country, including famously sunny Southern California.
In Oregon, parts of Portland were locked down after the area saw 11 inches of snow in a matter of hours. Freezing temperatures are also being investigated as the possible cause of death for a person who died on Wednesday.
In Michigan, a volunteer firefighter has died after being electrocuted by a downed power line in the western part of the state. To the east, pet owners in Detroit said their dogs were electrocuted and killed by live power lines downed by the storm.
PORTLAND: Backing up cars and trucks stuck on Interstate 84 seen from the Blumenauer Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge in Northeast Portland. Nearly a foot of snow fell in Portland on Wednesday
Rush hour traffic travels southbound on Interstate 35W in Minneapolis as a winter storm hits
PORTLAND: Snow covers a car in a Portland driveway Thursday after the area got 11 inches of snow
As many begin to recover from the dramatic storm, the family of a Michigan husband, father and former Marine is coming to terms with their loss.
Ethan Quillen was killed by a downed power line Wednesday night in Paw Paw.
According to Michigan State Police, the original power line had been tampered with, but a broken tree caused the line to collapse, killing the Michigan man.
Quillen was just 28 years old and had his whole life ahead of him, family and friends said.
“We would appreciate your thoughts and prayers for Ethan’s family, friends, fellow firefighters, dispatchers, and all other first responders grieving this tragic loss,” Paw Paw Fire Department. saying in a sentence.
He leaves behind a wife and a son.
In Detroit, several pet owners lost their animals to downed power lines.
A woman who spoke to FOX 2 she said her lover had left their dogs outside and that’s when the pup, Star, was killed by a live wire.
Another family said their two dogs were electrocuted by a downed power line.
“My dog was on fire,” said a woman who spoke to the local media. ‘I had to send my children home.’
Ethan Quillen was killed by a downed power line Wednesday night in Paw Paw, Michigan
A fellow firefighter stands in front of a memorial created for volunteer firefighter Lt. Ethan Quillen outside the Paw Paw Fire Department in Paw Paw, Michigan on Thursday, February 23, 2023.
Vehicles drive in downtown Minneapolis as snow fell Tuesday
Snow begins to fall around the Cathedral of Saint Paul, Tuesday at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota, earlier this week.
In Oregon, winter storms dumped nearly a foot of snow that brought travel to a standstill.
The 11 inches that fell in Portland represented the second snowiest day in the city’s history. It caught drivers by surprise, brought traffic to a standstill during Wednesday afternoon rush hour and trapped motorists on highways for hours.
Some stayed overnight in their vehicles or abandoned them entirely as crews struggled to clear the roads.
Other passengers got off diverted buses and walked in groups to safety. The National Weather Service, which had forecast only a slim chance of significant snowfall, planned to review its work.
The weather also knocked out power to nearly a million homes and businesses in several states, closed schools and grounded or delayed thousands of flights.
The system even brought snow to the usually warm Southern California.
Kim Upham endured a 13-hour ordeal when snow halted traffic on US 26, a mountainous highway that connects Portland to the coast.
The road, already treacherous due to its steep incline, was covered in a sheet of ice, forcing some drivers to leave their cars in the middle of the road.
“It was so scary to have semi trucks behind you and semi trucks in front of you, and you know you’re on a slope,” he said.
The Multnomah County Medical Examiner’s Office also said Thursday that they are investigating a possible death from hypothermia in the city.
However, the exact details would not be available for weeks. oregon live informed.
The area where Interstate 5 and I-84 meet is covered in snow on Thursday, February 23, 2023 in Portland, Oregon.
Snow blankets a street in the Grant Park neighborhood of Portland, Oregon on Thursday, February 23, 2023. Winter storms wreaked more havoc across the U.S. on Thursday
A person uses skis to traverse the snow-covered Grant Park neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, on Thursday, February 23, 2023.
The system even brought snow to the usually warm Southern California.
Two of Southern California’s largest counties, Los Angeles and San Diego, issued blizzard warnings for the area’s mountainous regions Wednesday and Thursday.
The area around the famous Hollywood sign received a dusting of snow on Thursday morning, images from KTLA-TV shows
The Hollywood sign stands at 1,578 feet high.
Forecasters had forecast Tuesday and Wednesday that some areas of 2,000 feet or higher could see snow or hail.
Light snow also fell in the higher elevation regions of Riverside County, San Bernardino County and San Diego County.
The famous Hollywood sign received a light dusting of snow Thursday morning.
Storm clouds hang over Los Angeles, Thursday, February 23, 2023
A motorist drives on a snow-covered road in the Angeles National Forest near La Canada Flintridge, California, on Thursday, February 23, 2023. For the first time since 1989, the National Weather Service issued a snowstorm warning for the mountains. from southern california. . (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning for the mountains north and northeast of Los Angeles, the first warning of its kind in the area since 1989.
A visitor stands on a snow-covered path while taking a selfie in the Angeles National Forest near La Canada Flintridge, California, on Thursday.