Major US Winter Storm Causes Widespread Devastation and Disruption
A powerful winter storm that swept across much of the United States over the weekend has been linked to at least fifteen tragic fatalities, leaving communities in mourning from Texas to New England. The severe weather system, characterised by heavy snowfall, treacherous ice, and dangerously cold temperatures, has created hazardous conditions affecting millions of residents.
Fatalities Reported Across Multiple States
Authorities have confirmed weather-related deaths in several states as the storm's impact continues to be assessed. In Texas, a sixteen-year-old lost their life in a sledding accident in Frisco, while another individual was found deceased from apparent hypothermia in the Austin area. Arkansas reported a similar tragedy with a seventeen-year-old boy killed in a sledding incident.
New York City's mayor, Zohran Mamdani, confirmed that five people were discovered dead outdoors over the weekend period. In Kansas, a woman was found covered in snow, having succumbed to hypothermia. Massachusetts officials reported a fatality after a woman was struck by a snow plow, while Tennessee authorities have documented three weather-related deaths. Louisiana has reported two storm-related fatalities, and North Carolina confirmed one death on a highway.
Massive Power Outages and Infrastructure Damage
As of Monday morning, more than eight hundred thousand people were without electricity nationwide. Tennessee experienced the most severe outages with over two hundred and fifty thousand affected, followed by Mississippi with approximately one hundred and fifty-seven thousand, and Louisiana with around one hundred and twenty-five thousand residents without power.
Officials in Mississippi have described the storm damage as "extensive", with additional crews being deployed to accelerate tree removal, clearing operations, and the restoration of damaged infrastructure including poles and power lines. The scale of the disruption has necessitated significant emergency response efforts across affected regions.
Travel Chaos and Institutional Closures
The transportation network has been severely impacted, with more than ten thousand five hundred US flights cancelled on Sunday alone. Monday saw nearly four thousand additional cancellations, according to data from flight tracking services. The widespread disruption has left thousands of travellers stranded and created logistical challenges across the aviation sector.
Major institutions in New York City and Washington DC remained closed on Monday, including the New York Public Library, Smithsonian museums, and the National Zoo. New York City public schools shifted to remote learning as authorities prioritised safety during the ongoing severe weather conditions.
Record Snowfall and Prolonged Cold Forecast
Preliminary snowfall measurements have revealed extraordinary accumulations, with parts of Massachusetts receiving up to twenty inches (fifty-one centimetres) of snow over the weekend. Pennsylvania registered even higher totals, with some areas recording twenty-three inches of snowfall.
The National Weather Service has issued warnings that "frigid air" will continue to spread across the eastern two-thirds of the country in coming days, with widespread sub-zero temperatures and record cold expected. Forecasters have indicated that dangerous wind chills will persist, and much below-normal temperatures may continue into early February, extending the period of hazardous conditions.
More than two hundred million people from Texas to New England remained under cold alerts on Monday morning, with authorities urging continued caution as the winter storm's aftermath continues to affect daily life across vast regions of the United States.
