January home construction falls 6%; signs of rebound ahead
A sign sits in front of a KB Home construction site, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021, in Simi Valley, Calif. U.S. home construction fell 6% in January but applications for building permits rose sharply. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)WASHINGTON โ U.S. home construction fell 6% in January but applications for building permits, which typically signal activity ahead, rose sharply. Single-family construction starts dropped 12.2% while construction of apartment units rose 16.2%. And strong sales this year would only extend a banner 2020 when home construction jumped 7% to 1.38 million units. The only region of the country that saw an increase last month was the Northeast, where construction rose by 2.3%.
'A long two days': Major storm pummels Northeast with snow
Although the heaviest parts of the storm had moved through the metropolitan area by Monday evening, lighter snow showers were expected to continue virtually all day Tuesday, forecaster James Tomasini said. โWeโre looking at a long two days here,โ New York Gov. Across the Northeast, many coronavirus vaccination sites closed Monday. AdHundreds of flights and many trains and were canceled, and aboveground New York City subway service stopped at 2 p.m. In recent days, a storm system blanketed parts of the Midwest, with some areas getting the most snow in several years.
Major storm heads to Northeast after blanketing Midwest
"Rosie" runs in the snow on the National Mall in front of the U.S. Capitol, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021, in Washington. It was already impacting coronavirus vaccinations in New York and New Jersey, with appointments for Monday needing to be canceled and rescheduled. The storm system blanketed parts of the Midwest in the most snow some places had seen in several years. In Wisconsin, snow depths in some counties near Lake Michigan had reached more than 15 inches (38 centimeters), and the snow was still falling. Much of the region could see blizzard-like conditions, with a foot to 18 inches (30 to 45 centimeters) of snow.
US home construction jumps 5.8% in December to 1.67 million
The number of newly issued permits to build fresh housing rose 6.2% in November on a seasonally adjusted basis. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)WASHINGTON โ U.S. home construction jumped 5.8% in December to 1.67 million units, a 14-year high that topped the strongest annual showing from the country's builders in 15 years. For the year, construction began on 1.45 million units, up 4.8% from 2019 and the best pace since construction starts totaled 1.8 million units in 2006. For December, construction of single-family homes increased by 7.8% to 1.23 million units. Construction rose 13.6% in the Midwest, 11.2% in the West and 1.3% in the South.
Parts of the Northeast measuring snow in FEET Thursday
While many of us are bummed about the lack of snow in our area Wednesday, folks in the Northeast would probably like to give us some of theirs. Snow rates as high as 4-5โณ per hour were common Thursday morning close to the Pennsylvania-New York border. At 8:15 a.m. Thursday, a trained storm spotter reported 43โณ of snow in Litchfield, Pennsylvania. Comparing snowfall between Roanoke and Litchfield, PAHeavy snow is expected to continue throughout New England on Thursday. Here are a couple of other pictures submitted to us of the snow in Horseheads, New York!
'Unbelievable' snowfall blankets parts of the Northeast
โIf you do not have to be on the roads, please don't travel,โ said New York Gov. โThis is the fastest rate of snowfall I've ever encountered,โ he said. Boston had more than 9 inches (23 centimeters) of snow early Thursday morning, breaking the previous record for the date of 6.4 inches (16.3 centimeters) in 2013. Parts of northern New England saw as much as 7 inches (18 centimeters) of snow per hour, said Margaret Curtis, meteorologist for the National Weather Service. Snow totals topped 3 feet across a wide swath of New Hampshire, and Maine's southernmost county saw 1 to 2 feet.
'If not one thing, it's another': Storm rolls into Northeast
A woman waits for a Long Island Rail Road train in the Queens borough of New York as snow falls at the start of an oncoming snow storm, Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020. Snow was falling from northern Virginia to points north of New York City by late afternoon. โOur theme today ought to be, โIf itโs not one thing, itโs another,โโ New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said as he gave residents storm guidance that's new this year โ mask up if you help your neighbors shovel. In New York City, officials braced for the biggest storm in about three years.
The Latest: CT bans semitrailers on some roads for 12 hours
(AP Photo/Elise Amendola)NEW YORK โ The latest developments on the winter storm moving across the Northeast (all times local):7:45 p.m.Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont announced Wednesday he is banning tractor trailer and tandem trailers from all limited access highways, beginning at 9 p.m. due to the severe winter snow storm. ___2 p.m.PROVIDENCE, R.I. โ Rhode Island has closed all state-run coronavirus testing sites as the region braces for a major winter storm. A winter storm warning has been issued for Providence and Kent counties from 7 p.m. Wednesday through 1 p.m. Thursday. Meanwhile, New Jersey is poised to restrict commercial traffic from some highways because of the impending snow storm.
August US home building slides 5.1% after months of gains
WASHINGTON U.S. housing construction fell a surprising 5.1% in August after three months of strong gains when home builders ramped up projects following a pandemic-induced shutdown in March and April. Applications for building permits, which is a good barometer of future activity, dipped a slight 0.9% in August to a seasonally adjusted 1.47 million but that decline followed solid gains in the previous three months including a 17.9% rise in July. While the drop-off in new homes was greater than economists had expected, construction remains 51.6% above an April low. Declines in activity were led by the Northeast, where home construction fell 33.1%. Strength in August came from solid gains of 28.4% in the Midwest and 19.5% in the West.
Northeast storm nears bomb cyclone criteria, knocks out power
BOSTON - A bomb cyclone is taking shape along the Eastern Seaboard, and power is being knocked out in the Northeast. More than 165,000 customers in multiple states were without power early Thursday morning as the coastal storm battered the region, according to poweroutages.us. Generally, a bomb cyclone is defined by a pressure drop of 24 millibars (a unit of pressure) within 24 hours. Models are showing it will likely stay more onshore compared to the coastal storm last Friday. This is the second coastal storm to impact New England in a week.
What to Do With Food After a Power Outage
Americans who have been hit with massive power outages following fierce storms in the Northeast are facing the dilemma of what to keep and what to throw out from their refrigerator. Inside Edition spoke to Good Housekeeping Institute nutrition director Jaclyn London for her tips. "On the whole, dairy in general usually needs to be tossed. Anything that has been premade and starts to thaw about 40 degrees after two hours has got to go," London said. RELATED STORIESThese Cool Food Ideas Will Help You Beat the HeatNYPD Cops Buy Groceries for Woman Accused of Shoplifting at Whole FoodsKind Cop Gives Boy a Ride Home, Then Buys Food for His Family
Potentially deadly heat wave threatens millions
The heat wave has prompted the city of Chicago to open cooling centers throughout the city for anyone looking for relief. Chicago officials warned residents to look out for signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke, including cramps, feeling weak and nausea. According to meteorologists, the heat wave will encompass much of the eastern half of the country into the weekend, before a cold front should bring relief late Sunday and into early next week. Heat wave made worse by climate crisisExperts say the heat wave is only made worse by the ongoing threat of climate change. By 2050, the Northeast can expect approximately 650 more deaths each year because of extreme heat, the assessment found.
As Barry approaches, different storms lash Northeast, killing 2
- As residents in the lower Mississippi Valley fret over the possibility of another hurricane, a separate storm system is drenching the Northeast and has killed two people. High waters swept away a car in Pennsylvania, killing a pregnant woman and her 8-year-old son, Douglass Township Police Chief John Dzurek told CNN affiliate WFMZ. "They were not able to get out and water was starting to come into the vehicles," he said. In surrounding areas, rescue crews received multiple calls about vehicles stuck in the high waters, the affiliate reported. Showers and thunderstorms will pour over the region throughout the night and flash flooding is likely, according to the service.