Bomb cyclone unleashes Christmas mayhem, 17 dead, millions without power, travel disrupted across US

At least 17 people died and seven lakh are without power as the cyclone bomb brought Christmas mayhem across the United States.

Extreme weather across the country has disrupted households and holiday plans just days before Christmas. Thousands of airline passengers were trapped across the country on Saturday as a powerful winter storm created the nightmare before Christmas, reported the New York Post.

Touted as the worst storm in decades, the cyclone has disrupted travel plans for millions of Americans.

The weather disrupted holiday travel, leaving travelers facing delays and cancellations during one of the busiest times of the year. On Friday, 5,934 flights were canceled after nearly 2,700 cancellations on Thursday, according to flight tracking site FlightAware, reported CNN.

According to the National Weather Service, more than 240 million people in the United States were under some sort of winter weather advisory.

The extreme winter weather prompted city authorities across the country to open warming centers in libraries and police stations while scrambling to expand temporary shelter for the homeless, reported Reuters.

Record-breaking cold gripped the US along with white-out conditions in some areas and ferocious winds in others — while a “bomb cyclone” hit portions of the nation. A “bomb cyclone” is created when the atmospheric pressure drops quickly in a strong storm, according to New York Post.