As millions on the East Coast – from Maine to the Carolinas – face flooding, wind damage, dangerous debris, and power outages, West Virginia and neighboring Appalachian states are also facing dire straights as blizzard conditions spin off of Hurricane Sandy.
Half a million West Virginians are currently without power. Authorities closed nearly 50 miles of interstate 68, as well as 30 other highways due to snow, ice, and downed trees.
So far, about a foot of snow has fallen in lower regions of West Virginia, and in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, two feet have fallen at the highest elevations.
West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin is watching the situation closely and preparing for the worst.
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