Rare snowstorm causes more than 10 deaths in US Gulf Coast

ISTANBUL

At least 11 people have died as the US Gulf Coast, stretching from Texas to Florida, recovers from a historic snowstorm that shut down airports, crippled roads, and broke snowfall records across multiple states, according to local reports.

In Austin, Texas, two people died from the cold, officials confirmed Tuesday night.

In Alabama, a 27-year-old woman died in a snowy car crash in Ozark, and a 37-year-old man in Pinckard died in a house fire caused by using a stove for heat, the coroner reported.

Many areas across the Gulf Coast saw their heaviest snowfall in over 130 years.

Florida experienced its highest snowfall on record, with 9.8 inches in Milton, northeast of the panhandle city of Pensacola, while Pensacola itself saw a record 8.9 inches.

Texas, under its first-ever blizzard warning, saw Beaumont hit a record 5.2 inches of snow. In Mobile, Alabama, snowfall reached an all-time high of 7.5 inches.

On Wednesday, cities like Jacksonville, Florida experienced snow, sleet, and ice, with morning temperatures colder than Anchorage, Alaska, lying in a state on the edge of the Arctic Circle.

Jacksonville’s airport closed Tuesday evening, while schools and government offices shut down on Wednesday.

Over 2,000 flights were canceled on Tuesday, with more than 1,800 canceled on Wednesday. All departing flights from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport were also canceled Wednesday.

New Orleans hadn't seen snow since December 2004, when half an inch fell, according to the National Weather Service.

"I was born and raised in New Orleans," Ian Spooner told CBS News. "I can count on one hand how many times it's snowed, and never like this."