Winter Storm Jonas Hits South, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic; At Least 14 Dead as Travel Conditions Worsen

The crippling Winter Storm Jonas has made its way towards the South, mid-Atlantic and Northeast, bringing with it not just big snow, but ice, high winds and flooding as well. At least 14 people have died in the storm, a quarter of a million customers have lost power and hundreds of crashes have been reported.

Flight-tracking service FlightAware said nearly 9,500 domestic flights have been canceled from Friday through Sunday, most are due to Jonas.

(IMPACTS: D.C. | Raleigh and Charlotte | New York City | Philadelphia)

Many of those who ventured out onto roadways encountered trouble, especially along one stretch of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. More than 500 cars, trucks and buses got stranded Friday night and were still stuck on Saturday afternoon, more than 16 hours later. The National Guard was helping deliver supplies to motorists, as well as working to free the stranded vehicles.

Among those stranded on the turnpike was the Duquesne University men's basketball team, returning to Pittsburgh from a Friday night game in Fairfax, Virginia, against George Mason University. Like many others, the team passed the time by watching movies or eating snacks, but by Saturday afternoon, the team was running out of food and looking to get towed free.

"We haven't moved one inch," Duquesne coach Jim Ferry told the Associated Press.

Thousands of drivers were also stuck overnight Saturday on Interstate 75 south of Lexington as Jonas turned the highway into a parking lot. Some motorists said they had been stuck on I-75 for upwards of 10 hours. Kentucky State Police said emergency shelters were opened near two exits along Interstate 75 for motorists who've been stranded by the mammoth storm. Saturday morning, officials were able to reopen the freeway and get the stranded cars moving again.

The traffic backup – from mile marker 76 to mile marker 41 – was 35 miles long, state trooper Kendra Wilson told CNN on Saturday morning. A section of I-75 in Rockcastle County was closed twice Friday afternoon and evening due to numerous accidents. It turned I-75 in both directions in Rockcastle and Laurel counties into a parking lot. The American Red Cross was providing food to stranded drivers.

Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin declared a statewide emergency Friday, urging people to stay off the road and providing local officials with immediate access to state resources in dealing with the storm.

(FORECAST: Get the Latest on What to Expect from Winter Storm Jonas)

In Maryland, Governor Larry Hogan called for the immediate closure of the 35-mile stretch of both I-270 and I-70 from I-81 in Washington County to the Baltimore Beltway until 7 a.m. Sunday morning. 

"Closing I-70 and I-270 will give us the time needed to deploy all our resources to clear these essential interstates as quickly as possible as we prepare to get our transportation network back up and running," said Gov. Hogan. "I am urging all Marylanders to stay off every road in the state, whether it’s the interstate or a local road. Stay safe and stay at home while crews do their jobs."

In the face of blizzard warnings in D.C., Baltimore, New York City, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, millions of residents are in the midst a havoc-filled weekend. The storm has already brought treacherous travel conditions and power outages across the South and mid-Atlantic, and on Saturday, travel will be dangerous in the Northeast as well. Washington D.C. and 10 states made emergency declarations: New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia.

North Carolina saw at least four fatal crashes as Winter Storm Jonas slammed the state. On Friday morning, treacherous conditions on Interstate 95 caused a serious wreck in Johnston County in which one person died. On Friday afternoon, a fatal accident on Interstate 77 in Iredell County resulted in the death of a child. According to WSOC-TV, the child was secured in a child's car seat at the time of the crash, and three other passengers were hospitalized with injuries. 55-year-old Rosa McCollough-Leake was killed in Forsyth County after hitting an icy patch and crossing into oncoming traffic. Three others involved had minor injuries. 19-year-old Madeline Paige Scalf of High Point died after losing control of her car and hitting a tree in Hickory, according to the Associated Press. 

The New York Police Department's Chief of Department Jim O'Neill announced that three people have died while shoveling in New York City, says NBC New York. 

Officials in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania reported the death of an 88-year-old man while attempting to shovel snow in Lower Providence Township. 

Authorities in Wheelersburg, Ohio reported the death of 18-year-old Ethan Pauley, who was struck by a truck while sledding behind an all-terrain vehicle. 

A Georgia postal worker was killed after a tree fell onto his vehicle in DeKalb County Saturday afternoon, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The tree, which "appeared to be in poor health", was likely blown over by strong winds, said DeKalb County fire Capt. Eric Jackson.

In Kentucky, Christopher Adams died when the plow he was driving slid off Highway 115 Saturday morning. He was a 16-year employee of the state's Transportation Cabinet, according to a news release.

Another death occurred in Knox County, Tennessee, on Friday when a car slid off an icy road, officials told the AP. The driver was killed and a passenger was injured in the wreck.

Saturday morning in Fort Washington, Maryland, a 60-year-old man died of an apparent heart attack while shoveling snow, officials told the Associated Press.

Gridlock in Nashville, Tennessee, brought traffic at a dead stop as up to 8 inches of snow blanketed the city. It was the snowiest day in the Music City in at least 13 years.

(MORE: Travel Impacts from Winter Storm Jonas Piling Up)

Air travel has been crippled by this storm as well. American, Southwest and Delta have issued travel waivers to customers. Delta is offering full refunds while Southwest is allowing travelers to reschedule their flights without any penalties.

United Airlines announced on Friday that it would be shutting down operations at the airports in New Jersey, Baltimore, New York LaGuardia, Philadelphia, Washington Dulles and Washington National. All flights have been canceled at the Philadelphia airport for Saturday but are expected to resume Sunday, according to the AP. The American Airlines hub in Charlotte canceled more than 650 flights for Friday and said it would not keep any planes in Charlotte overnight, the AP added. Customers will be rebooked and refunded, and flights are expected to resume Saturday. 

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said in a statement that it was prepared with more than 200 pieces of snow equipment at airports, more than 60 pieces of equipment at bridges and tunnels, thousands of tons of salt and sand, hundreds of thousands of gallons of anti-icer chemicals, and additional equipment to maintain train tracks. According to the AP, New York's subway system will be supported by 1,000 track workers to keep the trains running through the weekend.

(MORE: Will Winter Storm Jonas Rank Among the Biggest East Coast Snowstorms in Living Memory?)

NJ TRANSIT announced a shutdown Friday night of all bus, train and light rail service beginning at 2 a.m. Saturday "with service resuming as weather conditions permit."

Amtrak announced it will operate a modified schedule in the Northeast due to the storm and encouraged passengers to monitor their travel status. Other national services along the East Coast will experience cancelations over the weekend, Amtrak said in a press release.

D.C.'s subway system announced it would suspend its Metrorail, Metrobus and MetroAccess services on Friday evening and remain closed all day Saturday and Sunday. According to the AP, taxi cabs are expected to charge a flat rate of $15 on top of the regular metered charge. The National Zoo announced it would be closed from noon Friday through the weekend.

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority announced that it would be suspending service of all SEPTA lines except one, starting at 4 a.m. on Saturday.

A major concern along the East Coast is the threat of flooding. Officials in the city of Barnegat, New Jersey issued a mandatory evacuation for some residents on Friday afternoon alongside a local state of emergency. Residents were advised to evacuate by no later than 10 p.m. local time.