Blizzards in US cause record snowfalls

Blizzards in the Midwest of the US have brought record snowfalls, burying cars, closing schools and causing power cuts.



The National Weather Service reports that Wisconsin declared a state of emergency after getting up to 19 inches of snow yesterday, and Iowa recorded the worst snowfall for 20 years.



In Illinois, gusts of 50 miles per hour created snow drifts of up to 15 ft.



The storm, which is heading eastwards, has been blamed for at least 16 deaths, most in traffic accidents.



In one such incident, police say a 28-year-old woman was killed in Omaha, Nebraska on Tuesday night when a truck ploughing snow in a parking lot backed into her.