Wild winds: More than a half-million homes without power, flights grounded

Feb. 25 (UPI) -- Strong winds Monday have left more than a half-million homes in the eastern United States without electricity and grounded hundreds of flights, authorities said.

More than 500,000 homes were still without power by Monday afternoon. Strong gusts topping 70 mph were reported from Illinois to New England. They began Sunday and continued into Monday as they headed east.

The storm is blamed for at least one death and dozens of injuries. More than 500 flights were canceled Monday after about 1,200 were scrapped Sunday, and several interstate highways were shut down because of blizzard conditions in the Midwest.

Powerful winds caused a trail of damage, including blown off roofs and severe damage at vulnerable businesses like gas stations.

The Bradley Police advising Shell gas station in 100 BLK S Kinzie has canopy collapse early this morning due to high winds. Business closed - no reported injuries or hazardous conditions. pic.twitter.com/F0es3ZIjzu

— Bradley Police (@BradleyPolice) February 24, 2019

Forecasters say the northern half of the United States will see cold temperatures until the middle of March, along with snow, sleet and freezing rain.

"A strong ride of high pressure building into Alaska this week will send Arctic air first into the Plains during the first few days of March and the into the East by the third," AccuWeather meteorologist Paul Pastelok said.

Hazardous conditions caused more than 130 vehicles to pile up on Interstate 41 in Wisconsin over the weekend. One person died and 71 were injured. About 500 vehicles were stuck behind the pile-up and had to be rerouted. Interstate 35 was closed from Ames, Iowa, to Owatonna, Minn., and Interstates 90 and 29 were closed in Minnesota and North Dakota.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz declared a state of emergency and called the National Guard to help stranded travelers.

In New York, strong winds pushed chunks of ice out of Lake Erie and onto the coast where they butted up against some back yards.

Last week, the storm stretched as far south as Arizona, where it shut down highways and blanketed Tucson with nearly two inches of snow. The conditions forced city officials in Flagstaff to declare an emergency.