Blog note:

… And great earthquakes shall be in diverse places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. (Luke 21:11).

… And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; (Luke 21:25)

… Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken; (Luke 21:26)

… This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. (2 Timothy 3:1)

Jesus is giving a series of prophecies about what to look for as the age of grace comes to a close. These verses are several of many such prophecies from throughout the Bible. 2017 was the worst year in recorded history for the intensity, frequency, severity, duration and occurrence of a large number of severe natural disasters worldwide. Earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones, torrential flooding, unprecedented wildfires in unusual places, devastating droughts, excessive/scorching heat setting records everywhere, record snowfalls in Europe and Russia. Snow in the Arabia. This list can go on. Most studied Eschatologists believe these ‘fearful sights’ and massive natural disasters are all part of the ‘CONVERGENCE’ of signs that this Biblical and prophetic age is closing. Most people who study prophecy are familiar with the routine reference(s) made that these things will be like a woman having labor pains that occur in greater severity, frequency, size and duration prior to giving birth. End of note.

500-plus Monday flights are canceled and 200,000 customers are still in the dark after brutal Southeast storm

By Christina Maxouris, Tina Burnside and Amir Vera, CNN

Updated 1:31 PM ET, Mon December 10, 2018

(CNN)The brunt of the storm may have passed, but North Carolina residents still face perilous conditions after record-setting snow walloped the state.

“With a mix of snow, ice and rain still coming down in some areas, conditions remain treacherous in many parts of our state,” Gov. Roy Cooper said Monday.

The storm, which pummeled the Southeast over the weekend, killed at least one person in North Carolina and grounded thousands of flights in the region, including more than 500 flights on Monday.

About 144,000 North Carolina households are still without power Monday morning, the governor said.

In South Carolina, emergency officials said more than 56,000 power customers are without electricity Monday.

With frigid conditions and widespread power outages, Cooper asked residents to check on vulnerable loved ones and the elderly, if possible. He said 15 emergency shelters have opened across North Carolina.

Record-breaking snow pounds the Southeast

Up to 24 inches of snow covered parts of the Appalachian Mountains region over the weekend, CNN meteorologist Pedram Javaheri said.

Cooper said while the worst of the storm has passed North Carolina, “we need to stay vigilant. We’re not out of the woods yet.”

“This storm dropped staggering amounts of snow, ice and rain across our state,” the governor said. “A year’s worth of snowfall or more fell on some places in a little more than a day.”

Javaheri said snow showers could remain until mid-afternoon Monday.

And with temperatures dropping below freezing overnight into Tuesday, the threat of icy roads will linger. North Carolina State Highway Patrol warned that even after streets are treated, they can freeze over again.

“Watch out for deadly black ice, especially tonight and tomorrow morning,” Cooper said

A terminally ill woman on hospice care died when the oxygen concentrator in her Haywood County home stopped working after a power outage, the governor’s office said.

In the Charlotte suburb of Matthews, a tree fell on a vehicle, causing the car to careen and crash into a church, police said. The driver died, and the passenger was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.

In total, 672 crashes were reported during the storm, North Carolina State Highway Patrol said.

The Durham County Sheriff’s Office tweeted a photo of a damaged patrol car, warning drivers should be prepared for hidden dangers.

“Another example of the unpredictable happening while driving in #winterweather,” the department tweeted. “A chunk of ice fell from an overpass and cracked a deputy’s windshield. Thankfully he was ok. If you can’t stay home, stay alert. #ncwx #DurhamWeather,” the tweet read.

Virginia extends winter storm warning

Virginia was also bombarded with snow, and a winter storm warning remains in effect for most of the state until to 2 p.m. ET Monday, CNN meteorologist Gene Norman said.

Over the weekend, the Richmond area got about 9 inches of snow, said the National Weather Service in Wakefield, Virginia. Areas south of Richmond got 6 to 8 inches of snow, Norman said

Like its neighboring states to the south, Virginia also suffered thousands of power outages and dozens of vehicle crashes.

As of Monday morning, at least 33,000 customers had no electricity, Dominion Energy Virginiasaid.

And just like in North Carolina, roads are still dangerous in Virginia.

Virginia State Police reported 1,177 crashes since Sunday morning and asked residents to stay off the roads Monday.