LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The effects of the deadly winter storm are being felt all around the country, including here at home.
This storm is leaving many stranded and unable to travel.
I spoke with a few locals Monday night, who are stuck and just waiting to make it back to our valley.
“I left to come back to New York on Friday. I believe that was the 16th, and I was supposed to leave this Sunday," said Las Vegas resident Kennedy Houston.
Kennedy's flight never left, though, due to the winter storm.
“So I asked them when was the next available direct flight, and they told me Wednesday morning," Houston said.
Kennedy's view of New York during her trip was filled with icy roads, snow piles everywhere and frigid temperatures.
“Even before the snow hit, the cold was just so brutal," Houston said.
Kennedy was staying with her mom, visiting her family in New York, which included her grandma, niece, sister and nephew. She grew up in New York
“I’m a native New Yorker, born and raised. I have lived here most of my life," Houston said.
Now, she works with us at Channel 13 in Las Vegas as a producer, and she's just trying to fly back safely.
Meanwhile, icy roads are also shutting down travel across the U.S.
Las Vegas truck driver and owner of J & G transportation D.J. Henderson is stuck.
“I’m currently in Memphis, Tennessee. We had a load to deliver out to Memphis," Henderson said. "We got caught up in the snow and got stuck here, so we’ve ended up bunkering down and getting a hotel room for the weekend."
He sent me video from his travel, showing icy roads where you can't even see the pavement and heavy snowfall. The weather forced his truck and others to stop due to unsafe roads.
“It’s very dangerous. I’ve seen a lot of turned over vehicles out on the road," Henderson said.
The weather is also making his own truck unsafe.
“A lot of the ice built around our air hoses that controls the braking systems and whatnot, so I’m going to try and get that all taken care of," Henderson said.
He said the weather is so cold over in Tennessee that the fuel for their trucks is freezing, causing issues with the vehicles and issues finding gas stations with liquid fuel.
However, he says he believes crews are making good progress in the area and hopes he'll be able to start his trip back Tuesday as he has to head to Missouri, then Phoenix, Arizona, before arriving back in Las Vegas.
While both Kennedy and D.J. want to be back in our valley, they do have safety on the top of their minds.
“I’d rather be safe than sorry even though it’s inconvenient, I don’t want to play with my life," said Henderson.
