A state of emergency has been declared in North Dakota: thousands of people were left without power on New Year's Eve

In North Dakota, on New Year's Eve, an ice storm knocked down power poles and power lines, leaving more than 20,000 people without power. Governor Doug Burgum declared a state of emergency.

In order to repair the damaged power lines, additional funding will be needed, which is planned to be requested in the near future. According to ABC News, the governor intends to ask the president to declare an emergency, which will allow him to allocate federal aid to cover the cost of repairing the damaged structures.

So far, hundreds of poles have been damaged. The storm, which ruined thousands of people's celebrations in North Dakota, is a reminder of the powerful storm that hit the United States on December 26.

Elsewhere in the states, winter snowstorms and ice caused air travel disruptions. In North Dakota earlier this week, an ice storm also forced the closure of sections of interstate highways, but no power outages were reported.

After the power poles came down, the Department of Emergency Management and the North Dakota Rural Electric Cooperative Association took over and are working with utility companies to do everything possible to save the holidays.

Warming centers and shelters have been opened in two regions of the state, home to about 784,000 people, to help people who have been left without heat as a result of the blizzard.