THE BIG DIG MONSTER BLIZZARD on EAST COAST, USA : Northeastern U.S. Climbs Out Of The Snow... At Least 19 Dead Nationwide... Over 2 Feet Dumped On NYC And DC... 40 Inches In Parts Of Virginia, West Virginia... Flooding In New Jersey, Delaware... Thousands Of Flights Cancelled... NYC Travel Ban Lifted... Unclear When DC Schools Will Reopen... PHOTOS...

By Barbara Goldberg and Idrees Ali

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Millions of residents, business owners and workers began digging out on Sunday from a massive blizzard that brought Washington, New York and other northeastern U.S. cities to a standstill, killing at least 19 people in several states.

I Think I Finally Find My Car

The storm was the second-biggest in New York City history, with 26.8 inches (68 cm) by midnight Saturday, just shy of the record 26.9 inches set in 2006, the National Weather Service said.

Thirteen people were killed in weather-related car crashes in Arkansas, North Carolina, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia on Saturday. One person died in Maryland and three in New York City while shoveling snow. Two died of hypothermia in Virginia, officials said.On the New Jersey shore, a region hard-hit in 2012 by Superstorm Sandy, the storm drove flooding high tides.

I Cant See It

After dumping about two feet of snow on the Washington area, the storm unexpectedly strengthened as it spun northward and slammed into the New York metropolitan area on Saturday, home to about 20 million people.

Winds gusting to more than 40 mph (64 kph) sculpted drifts many feet high, burying cars.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency, as did 10 other governors. A ban imposed on all travel on New York City area roads and on Long Island, except for emergency vehicles, was set to end at 7 a.m. on Sunday. Bridges and tunnels into the city were also set to reopen. more