Winter storm death toll rising as Midwest to mid-Atlantic gets slammed with snow, ice

A powerful and deadly winter storm that stretched thousands of miles across the U.S., slamming major cities from the Midwest to the mid-Atlantic, has finally come to an end. However, officials are warning residents not to let their guard down as crews continue their work to clear roads and restore power after being pounded by heavy snow and ice.The storm began its journey across the nation after slamming the West Coast, where it spawned the first tornado of the year in California.The winter weather then moved into the Plains and Midwest over the weekend, where blizzard conditions were experienced at Kansas City International Airport, and sleet and freezing rain led to numerous crashes across the region from Kansas and Missouri through the Ohio Valley.At least seven deaths, including a child, are being attributed to the storm across multiple states.The Missouri State Highway Patrol said a 33-year-old driver died after getting out of their vehicle on Interstate 29 in Mount City.The vehicle began to slide, hitting the 33-year-old victim from Nebraska. Another death was reported in Missouri when a 61-year-old Public Works employee was struck while performing snow removal operations in Jackson County, according to MSHP.

Snow removal operations paused on Sunday because of the incident and resumed on Monday morning. “We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Everett Carter, who dedicated 40 years of service to Jackson County, including the last 8 years with the Public Works team,” Jackson County officials said in a statement.In Kansas, two people were killed in a crash in southwest Wichita during the winter storm, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP), when a vehicle traveling on Interstate 235 spun out of control and left the roadway.Also in Kansas, a 28-year-old Dodge City man died on Saturday in Ford County when a tractor-trailer swerved in icy conditions, and the victim’s vehicle crashed into the tractor-traile...