Another drama: the United States goes from extreme cold to heat

From one drama to the next. The United States, over a vast territory, suffered a wave of extreme cold which has defeated several cities, with thousands of evacuees and more than twenty dead. However, the worry does not stop, because from cold to heat, other problems could occur.

In Illinois, temperatures can go up 80 degrees in a few days. In Michigan, melting snow, rain, and ice on the Muskegon River can cause flooding. In addition, throughout the Middle West, a sudden change in temperature, as expected, will result in cracks in the routes and major water and gas pipelines.

The wave of polar frost left at least 21 dead. Of the victims, at least nine died in the city of Chicago. It is expected that in the coming days, the polar vortex that paralyzes many cities will end with a rapid thaw that, according to experts, will have no precedent. Cities may not be prepared for the following.

"I do not think there was a case where we saw a (big) temperature change" in the winter, Jeff Masters told the Associated Press news agency, director of weather for Weather Underground. "The periods of extreme cold that have occurred on other occasions have not dissipated at this rate and we are moving towards spring temperatures.

On Thursday, the system moved to the east, bringing Arctic conditions into an area extending from Buffalo to Brooklyn. In western New York, a storm that spewed up to 20 inches of snow (51 centimeters) gave way to subzero temperatures and strong, icy winds. In New York, about 200 firefighters fighting a fire in a commercial building took turns to heat buses.

For the center of the country, the relief of the river could be at hand this weekend, but the abrupt change will bring new challenges. Rockford, Ill., Had a record low minus 31 degrees (minus 35 degrees Celsius) Thursday morning. This Monday, it can be found at 50 degrees (10 degrees Celsius). Other previously frozen areas can see temperatures of 55 degrees or more.

Dramatic warming offered a respite from the arctic cold that canceled clbades in schools, closed shops and stopped trains. But bumps will appear on the roads and many bridges will be weakened by the freeze-thaw cycle. This cycle can break water pipes and mains of cities. Many vehicles will be left with tires bent and deflated.