Massive storm heads for US midsection

The massive storm moving from the U.S. Southwest and headed for the Southeast is being blamed for a number of deaths, officials said Sunday. The arctic winds shook California and the Southwest, sending heavy rain, snows, flooding and sleet, USA Today reported. The storm was headed for the middle of the country Sunday afternoon. The system probably will bring rain and thunderstorms to Georgia and Gulf Coast states as drivers head the roads for the Thanksgiving holiday, the report said. The AAA auto club estimated 43.4 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from Wednesday through Dec. 1. Earlier, the huge storm affected the Southern United States from California to Texas. On Friday, 4-year-old girl was killed when a car she in which she was riding slid off an icy highway in New Mexico, CNN reported. The state Department of Public Safety said the girl was not properly restrained. The storm also caused the death of a 52-year-old man in California's Yuba County on Thursday. The county sheriff's office said a tree fell on the man's car. Winter storm warnings were issued Saturday for parts of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. Parts of Arizona may receive as much as 5 inches of snow, while other areas in the state will receive rain until the storm moves east, CNN said.