India, Feb. 22 -- Forecasters issued blizzard alerts for communities from Maryland to Massachusetts, with US cities on the East Coast preparing for heavy snow and damaging winds.

The National Weather Service had warned that after the storm intensifies, it can prove to be even more severe than earlier projections, the Associated Press reported. The blizzard is set to hit the tri-state area, with the weather service saying 1 to 2 feet of snow was possible in many areas.

Blizzard warnings were sounded for New York City and Long Island, Boston and coastal communities in New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The weather service warned that flooding was also possible in parts of New York and New Jersey, ...