The Countdown: Flash freeze follows storm; Staten Island fire turns tragic
In this edition of 'The Countdown,' we break down the extreme polar plunge that will impact our area following a major winter storm.
The monster winter storm battered much of the country, just days before Christmas.
Nationwide, thousands of flights were canceled on Friday alone. Meanwhile, intense flooding affected different parts of the tri-state, along with whipping winds.
The next area of concern is the plunging temperatures which will create flash freezing.
Here are the other headlines from Friday's show:
Staten Island fire
Two children were killed and four more hurt following a fire in a home on Staten Island. Two of the injured are still fighting for their lives. The oldest person in the home at the time was a 14-year-old boy.
Staten Island Ferry fire
A full investigation is underway now after a fire in the engine room of a Staten Island Ferry forced 800 people to be rescued from the boat. The borough president said early signs show the fire could have been caused by a leaking oil tank and he wants the tanks to be checked on all vessels.
House passes $1.7 trillion spending bill with Ukraine aid
A $1.7 trillion spending bill financing federal agencies through September and providing more aid to a devastated Ukraine cleared the House on Friday as lawmakers race to finish their work for the year and avoid a partial government shutdown. The bill passed mostly along party lines, 225-201. It now goes to President Joe Biden to be signed into law.
Mega Millions jackpot surpasses $500M
The jackpot for tonight's Mega Millions drawing is an estimated $510 million! The jackpot rose after nobody won the top prize in Tuesday night's drawing. The $510 million prize is the second largest Mega Millions jackpot this year.
You can watch 'The Countdown' live Monday-Friday at 6:30 p.m. on ABC7NY.com or our ABC7NY app on Roku, FireTV, Apple TV and Android TV.
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