Winter Storm Deaths Rise as Power Outages Persist
A massive winter storm moving across the eastern United States has been linked to multiple deaths, widespread power outages, and extensive travel disruptions, as officials warn conditions will persist into the start of the week.
In New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said at least five people were found dead outdoors after temperatures plunged to as low as 9 degrees Fahrenheit on Jan. 24. Authorities are still investigating the causes of death. Mamdani urged residents to remain indoors and avoid travel as New York state continues under a state of emergency.
In Louisiana, two men died of hypothermia in Caddo Parish, according to the state health department. Across the country, snow, ice, and strong winds have rendered roads impassable in many areas, leaving hundreds of thousands of Americans without electricity.
As of 10 p.m. ET Sunday, PowerOutage.com reported more than 879,000 people remained without power nationwide, down from a peak exceeding 1 million earlier in the day.
The storm also caused widespread air travel disruptions. More than 11,400 flights were canceled, stranding travelers across the United States and abroad. Flight tracker FlyAware reported that Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, and all three major New York-area airports—LaGuardia, Newark Liberty, and John F. Kennedy—were among the hardest hit.
American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Southwest Airlines each canceled more than 1,200 flights on Sunday. Delta announced it would operate a reduced schedule due to freezing temperatures. The storm system dumped snow and coated power lines with ice from the Southern Rocky Mountains through New England.
Tennessee’s power grid sustained the most severe damage, with more than 336,000 outages reported. Nashville was the hardest-hit city both in the state and nationwide, where more than 200,000 residents woke up without power amid ice-covered roads, sidewalks, and vehicles.
“The combination of freezing rain and ice has hit our community hard today,” Nashville Electric Service wrote on X Sunday. “Weighted down by ice, trees are snapping and taking down power lines across the area.”
By 2:45 p.m. ET, Mississippi reported more than 174,000 outages, while Louisiana recorded nearly 150,000. In Texas, transportation officials urged residents to stay off the roads as crews worked to clear snow.
“An ode to travelers: STAY HOME! And if you can’t, STAY BACK!” the Texas Department of Transportation wrote in an X post Sunday morning.
Although power restoration efforts began in Texas, tens of thousands of residents remained without electricity. Georgia, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Alabama also reported tens of thousands of outages Sunday afternoon.
President Donald Trump approved federal emergency disaster declarations Saturday for South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Indiana, and West Virginia.
“As severe weather crosses the Volunteer State this weekend, we are grateful for the Trump administration’s efforts to protect and support Tennesseans,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) wrote in an X post on Jan. 24.
The National Weather Service warned that hazardous conditions would continue through Monday.
“Up to eighteen inches will fall over New England, and 0.50 inches of freezing rain over parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Ohio/Tennessee Valleys,” the agency said in an advisory.
The NWS also cautioned that states along the Eastern Gulf Coast could face severe thunderstorms capable of producing damaging wind gusts and tornadoes.
