14.Troublesome Snow（242）

Lesson 14  Troublesome Snow

The worst snowstorm, sleet, and cold in fifty years are hitting 14 central, southern, and eastern provinces.

Thick ice on power facilities caused some electrical wires to break and towers to fall, cutting off electricity in many areas, including for trains.

This power loss has stopped trains, leaving millions trying to get home for the Spring Festival stuck.

Hundreds of thousands are stranded at train stations or on the trains themselves.

Ice has made highways impassable, trapping miles of vehicles.

Some people have been stuck on the roads for days.

Most flights are canceled because planes and runways are covered in snow and ice.

Airports are packed with people desperate to get home.

The government is asking people to stay put and not travel home for the Lunar New Year.

Efforts are underway to fix the power and clear the traffic, with huge tents set up for those waiting at train stations.

Food is being given out for free to those waiting.

The Prime Minister has visited train stations to meet those who can't get home.

The military is cooking warm food for those stuck on highways.

Villagers near the highways are selling food and drinks to trapped drivers and passengers, helping out despite it being illegal to cross the highway fences.

Their sales are a big help to those stranded in the cold.

The money they make might also offset their crop losses from the severe weather.