Deadly US Winter Storm Claims 25 Lives, Leaves 750,000 in the Dark Amid Widespread Chaos
A massive winter storm has claimed at least 25 lives and plunged more than 750,000 households and businesses into darkness across swathes of the United States, unleashing heavy snow in the Northeast while leaving behind widespread destruction from freezing rain in the South.
The powerful system dumped more than a foot of snow over a vast 1,300-mile corridor stretching from Arkansas to New England, according to the Associated Press. As the storm’s trailing edge moved through the Northeast on Monday, fresh accumulations continued, with light to moderate snowfall forecast across New England into the evening hours.
The National Weather Service reported snowfall totals reaching up to 20 inches in areas north of Pittsburgh, accompanied by wind chills dropping to minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit from late Monday into Tuesday. Travel chaos ensued nationwide, with thousands of flights delayed or cancelled, schools closed, and roads rendered treacherous by deep snow and extreme cold.
Among the fatalities were incidents involving snowplough accidents in Massachusetts and Ohio, sledding mishaps in Arkansas and Texas, and multiple deaths from exposure. In New York City, eight individuals were discovered dead outdoors amid the bitter weekend chill.
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Power restoration efforts remained underway Monday, with over 700,000 customers still affected, particularly in Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. The Nashville Electric Service, identified by poweroutage.us as the most severely impacted utility, announced plans to double its workforce by midday, deploying nearly 300 line workers across its service territory, as reported by ABC News.
In Mississippi, officials described the ice storm as the state’s most severe since 1994. Authorities scrambled to deliver cots, blankets, bottled water, and generators to warming centers in the hardest-hit zones. At the University of Mississippi, power outages forced the cancellation of classes for the entire week, leaving the Oxford campus blanketed in hazardous ice. Oxford Mayor Robyn Tannehill noted on social media that the damage resembled “a tornado went down every street,” with fallen trees, branches, and downed power lines littering the city.
New York City endured its heaviest snowfall in years, with Central Park recording 11 inches. While major roadways were mostly cleared by Monday morning, pedestrians navigated snow-clogged sidewalks, and some above-ground subway lines faced delays.
Air travel suffered major disruptions, with more than 8,000 flights affected nationwide on Monday per FlightAware. The previous day saw 45 percent of U.S. flights cancelled—the highest rate since the COVID-19 pandemic—according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.