Historic winter storm rattles US

{O/C}

One of the worst winter storms roaming the United States this Christmas Eve has turned real ugly.

This as frigid temperatures, white-out conditions and power outages are ruining the festive mood.

{Take SOT}

It's a horrendous Christmas for New Yorkers as relentless blizzards and flooding hounded Buffalo.

{Soundbite}

KATHY HOCHUL, New York Governor:

This is an epic, state-wide hazard.

There is no other way to describe this.

{VO}

With wicked 69-miles-per-hour winds now whipping the area, officials have banned all cars on the roads except emergency vehicles.

Those on Oklahoma's roads got nowhere fast amid massive pile-ups, neither did drivers in Ohio, as many swerved on the roads amid the snow.

At least three people have succumbed to the plunging temperatures in Kentucky.

Now at least 17 people have died nationwide amid the haunting winter storm.

65 million across the eastern U.S. are subject to rolling blackouts.

The historic "bomb cyclone" is now sweeping across half of the United States.

Over at the airports, disarray too as passengers discovered at least 10,000 flight cancellations nationwide.

{Soundbite}

Stranded Traveller:

We tried like dozens and dozens of different airports. I called the airline, they tried but there is like no availability until after Christmas.

{Soundbite}

Stranded Traveller:

We don't know what's gonna happen, whether or not they they have extra flights.

But tonight, they're saying maybe they won't even have flights tomorrow.

{VO}

And it wasn't fun doing the news amid the numbing chill, insists this sports reporter.

{Soundbite}

MARK WOODLEY, KWWL Sports Presenter:

So what better time to ask the sports guy to come in about five hours earlier than he would normally wake up, go stand out in the wind and snow and cold and tell other people not to do the same?

{VO}

From the White House, President Biden urged Americans to beware of the storm's wrath.

{Soundbite}

JOE BIDEN, United States President:

This is not like a snow day, you know, when you were a kid. This is serious stuff.

Please take this storm extremely seriously.