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Southern states brace for severe winter storms over MLK Day weekend

Empty shelves
Empty shelves OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images

The governors of Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia declared states of emergency ahead of a winter storm system expected to strike the southeastern United States Saturday, CNN reports.

According to The Associated Press, "2 to 5 inches ... of snow could fall as far south as northeast Georgia from Saturday evening though Sunday, and possible power outages and travel problems could be exacerbated by any coating of ice — and winds gusting to 35 mph."

Schools and many businesses will be closed Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, making cancellations unnecessary but also potentially ruining weekend travel plans. The National Weather Service predicts the storm will "move eastward to the Southeast by Sunday morning, then head northeastward to the northern mid-Atlantic by Monday."

Stores are selling out of essentials while road crews desperately work to avoid a repeat of the situation in Virginia that left thousands — including Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) — stranded overnight on I-95 earlier this month.

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