US winter storm causes 850,000 power outages, forces 10,000 flight cancellations

Snow removal machines work on the tarmac of LaGuardia airport in New York on Sunday. PIC/AFP

Nearly a million people across the United States are without power and more than 10,000 flights have been cancelled as a severe winter storm sweeps across the eastern two-thirds of the country, bringing heavy snowfall, freezing rain and dangerously low temperatures, according to a report by Al Jazeera.

On Sunday, the National Weather Service (NWS) warned that sub-freezing temperatures and hazardous conditions could persist for several days, causing "dangerous travel and infrastructure impacts." More than 850,000 customers were without electricity, according to PowerOutage.us, with at least 290,000 in Tennessee and over 100,000 each in Mississippi, Texas and Louisiana. Other affected states include Kentucky, Georgia, Virginia, and Alabama.

The National Weather Service (NWS) warned of heavy snow from the Ohio Valley to the Northeast, while areas from the Lower Mississippi Valley to the Southeast faced "catastrophic ice accumulation." NWS meteorologist Allison Santorelli described it as "a unique storm in the sense that it is so widespread," affecting nearly 213 million people under winter weather warnings across a 2,000-mile stretch from New Mexico through Texas and up to New England.

"It was affecting areas all the way from New Mexico, Texas, all the way into New England, so we are talking like a 2,000-mile [3,220km] spread," reported Al Jazeera. Calling the storm "historic", US President Donald Trump approved federal emergency disaster declarations as nearly 20 states and the District of Columbia declared weather emergencies. "We will continue to monitor and stay in touch with all States in the path of this storm. Stay Safe, and Stay Warm," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social on Saturday.

Al Jazeera reported that more than 10,000 flights were cancelled on Sunday, with thousands more delayed, prompting major airlines to warn passengers to prepare for sudden schedule changes.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) pre-positioned supplies and search-and-rescue teams in multiple states, while Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem advised residents to take precautions, saying, "It's going to be very, very cold. So we would encourage everybody to stock up on fuel, stock up on food, and we will get through this together."

The NWS warned that heavy ice could lead to "long-duration power outages, extensive tree damage, and extremely dangerous or impassable travel conditions", even in states unaccustomed to harsh winter weather.

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