US Winter Storm Kills 7, Leaves 800,000 Without Power

At least seven people have died after a powerful winter storm swept through the US, disrupting power supply for hundreds of thousands of homes.

According to the National Weather Service (NWS), “life-threatening” conditions from Texas to New England have led to school and road closures across the country and flight cancellations.

At least two people have died from hypothermia in Louisiana, and other storm-related deaths have been reported in Texas, Tennessee, and Kansas.

More than 800,000 homes were without power as of Sunday afternoon, according to poweroutage.us. Meanwhile, more than 11,000 flights were canceled, according to FlightAware.

The widespread heavy snowfall, sleet, and freezing rain—a dangerous phenomenon where supercooled raindrops freeze instantly upon contact with surfaces—could last for several days, and the storm could affect nearly 180 million Americans—more than half the population.

“The snow and ice will melt very, very slowly and won’t be going away anytime soon, and that will hamper recovery efforts,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Allison Santorelli.

The Louisiana Department of Health confirmed Sunday that two people had died from hypothermia. The mayor of Austin, Texas, said there had been a death “related to exposure.”

Kansas officials said a woman whose body was found covered in snow Sunday afternoon “likely died of hypothermia.” Three weather-related deaths have also been reported in Tennessee.

New York City Council Member Zohran Mamdani wrote in a post on X that at least five people had died in the city on Saturday, but the cause of their deaths was not yet known.

However, he added, “This is a reminder that every year New Yorkers die from the cold.”

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul warned people to stay indoors and off the roads. “This is certainly the coldest weather we’ve seen; this is the coldest winter storm in years,” she said on Sunday.

“A kind of Arctic siege has taken hold of our state and many other states across the country.” Hochul said these “brutal” conditions are expected to bring the longest period of cold and the heaviest snowfall in years.

“It’s bone-chilling and dangerous,” she said. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said on Sunday that the state was experiencing more ice and less snow than initially forecast.

“That’s not good news for Kentucky,” he said. Weather experts have warned that the biggest threat from the storm is the ice, which can damage trees, bring down power lines, and make roads treacherous.

In Virginia and Kentucky, authorities have responded to hundreds of accidents on the roads. Canadians have also faced heavy snowfall and hundreds of flight cancellations.

Officials estimate that 15-30 cm (5-11 inches) of snow will fall in the province of Ontario.