Citizens of the Northeastern United States are struggling to recover from a major winter storm that caused widespread power outages and up to three feet of snow.

A state of emergency was declared on February 8, in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, and Maine as the storm first began. Many people were forced to stay at home due to multiple flight cancellations, driving bans, and the closing of public transportation, according to the New York Daily News.

Boston, Massachusetts was hit with 24.9 inches of snow. Thousands of people in the state were forced to take refuge in emergency shelters due to widespread power outages. Governor Deval Patrick told Discovery News that the number of outages was at 250,000 on February 10. Patrick also emphasized that a major challenge was ensuring that public transportation was running again. “We’re trying to make sure that public transit is fully functioning,” he told CBS News.

New York was also seriously impacted by Nemo. As much as 30 inches of snow was recorded in Long Island, according to the Huffington Post.  Many people were forced to abandon their cars on ice-covered highways during the height of the storm, which posed a problem for snowplows trying to clear the roads.

In Connecticut, schools remained closed across the state until Wednesday. Around 49,000 homes and businesses were still without electricity three days after the storm, as written by The Huffington Post. Governor Dannel Malloy told Discovery News that most counties in the state were dealing with record amounts of snow.

Northeasterners were glad to hear the National Weather Service forecasting rain and warmer temperatures for this week. However, warm temperatures cause the snow to melt, which poses a new danger: roof collapses. According to the Huffington Post, melting snow adds weight to the snow that is already piled on roofs.  Officials stated that citizens should try and clear off the tops of their houses if possible. In Connecticut, Governor Malloy warned residents that places with flat roofs are particularly susceptible to collapse. “Please get somebody up on the roof. At the very least, make sure that the drains are clear and working,” he stated.

Carbon monoxide also poses a risk after the extreme snowfall. In Boston, two people died on February 9, after being exposed to carbon monoxide while sitting in their running cars. Officials also stated that people should clear snow from their heating vents to stop the poisonous gas

from getting back into their homes.

Northeast residents remain hopeful that life will soon return to normal. “Considering the severity of the storm, the amount of snow and the wind, we’ve come through this pretty well,” Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick told CBS News.