A powerful winter storm sweeping across the southern and eastern United States has triggered widespread power outages, mass flight cancellations, and emergency declarations in more than 20 states.
Nearly one million people were without electricity as of Monday, according to Poweroutage.com, with Tennessee, Texas, Mississippi, and Louisiana among the hardest-hit states. Tennessee alone reported around 330,000 homes without power as ice and heavy snow downed power lines and strained energy infrastructure.
Air travel has been severely disrupted, with close to 18,000 flights cancelled nationwide between Saturday and Monday, data from FlightAware showed. Airlines scrapped more than 11,000 flights on Sunday alone — the highest single-day total since the Covid-19 pandemic, according to aviation consultancy Cirium.
American Airlines cut nearly half of its schedule, while JetBlue cancelled up to 70% of its flights. Major airports including LaGuardia, Reagan National, and Philadelphia saw more than 90% of departures cancelled.
By Saturday evening, roughly 40% of the country was under winter storm warnings, as Winter Storm Fern pushed eastward bringing snow, freezing rain, and sleet. Forecasters warned of temperatures plunging into the low teens and single digits Fahrenheit, with wind chills as low as minus 10°F (minus 23°C).
Governors in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia declared states of emergency, while President Donald Trump issued emergency declarations for South Carolina and Virginia. “With the help of FEMA and our state partners, we will keep everyone safe,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Power companies deployed helicopters and repair crews to assess damage and restore service. Georgia Power warned customers to prepare for outages lasting up to three days, while Dominion Energy cautioned that icy conditions in Virginia could leave some areas without electricity for several days. Energy Secretary Chris Wright ordered grid operators to activate more than 35 gigawatts of backup power to prevent further blackouts.
The storm has drawn comparisons to Winter Storm Uri, which caused catastrophic power failures and loss of life in Texas in 2021. The Department of Energy estimates that power outages cost the US economy $44 billion last year.
Approximately 185 million people remain under winter weather alerts, with snowfall totals reaching up to 12 inches in some regions. Supermarkets across affected states reported empty shelves as residents rushed to stock up on food and essentials.
In New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani confirmed five deaths but said it was unclear whether they were directly related to the storm. “There is no more powerful reminder of the danger of extreme cold and how vulnerable many of our neighbours are,” he said, pointing particularly to risks faced by the homeless population.
States currently under emergency declarations include Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.
