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Winter Storm Jonas Causes Travel Nightmare

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WASHINGTON -- As the winter system began winding down Saturday evening, the number of people dramatically impacted was on the rise with more than a dozen deaths blamed on the storm.

In New Jersey alone, more than 50,0000 people were without power, where coastal flooding transformed some streets into frozen lakes.

Winter Storm Jonas caused travel nightmares for thousands of stranded drivers from Kentucky to Connecticut.

A travel ban is placed on New York City until 7 a.m. Sunday, where unauthorized personnel could be arrested and fined.

Nearly 10,000 flights were canceled, with Washington's Dulles and Reagan airports closed through Sunday.

"Coming from Washington, D.C., we thought as soon as we hit the turnpike we're good. But this is beyond even turnpike," one woman explained while sitting in a passenger bus stranded in Pennsylvania.

Tow trucks understandably were in high demand with stalled and abandoned vehicles littering streets and highways across the south, Mid-Atlantic, and New England.

For the determined souls needing a ride, the car service Uber hiked its prices with a base rate starting at $72.

But some people didn't seem to mind the weather wreaking havoc on their plans.

"In Florida all we have is sun all year round. You get tired, you get bored," one man commented.

Jonas also created some picture perfect winter wonderland moments enjoyed by kids sledding down snowy hills and Washington's giant panda, Tian Tian, frolicking in the snow at the National Zoo.

So far, the highest snowfall accumulation was tallied in Glengary, West Virginia with over 40-inches.

By Sunday morning, an estimated 1 in 7 Americans will begin digging out their sidewalks and buried cars trying to return to something reminiscent of normal. 

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About The Author

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John
Jessup

John Jessup serves as the main news anchor for CBN, based at the network's news bureau in Washington, D.C. He joined CBN News in September 2003, starting as a national correspondent and then covering the Pentagon and Capitol Hill. His work in broadcast news has earned him several awards in reporting, producing, and coordinating election coverage. While at CBN, John has reported from several places, including Moore, Oklahoma, after the historic EF5 tornado and parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas devastated by Hurricane Katrina. He also traveled to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, during the height