A powerful winter storm sweeping across the United States has left at least seven people dead and more than 800,000 households without electricity, as heavy snow, ice, freezing rain and dangerously low temperatures disrupted daily life across large parts of the country. The storm, which stretched thousands of miles from the southern Plains to the Northeast, brought treacherous travel conditions and widespread infrastructure damage, prompting emergency declarations in several states.
Authorities said the deaths were linked to a range of storm-related incidents, including hypothermia, road accidents on icy highways and exposure to extreme cold during prolonged power outages. Some of the worst-affected states included Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky and parts of the Midwest, where thick ice and falling trees damaged power lines and slowed repair efforts. Utility companies warned that restoration could take days in some areas due to hazardous working conditions.
The storm also caused major disruption to transportation networks. Thousands of flights were cancelled or delayed at airports across the country, while many highways became impassable as snow and ice accumulated. Emergency services urged residents to avoid non-essential travel and to check on vulnerable people, particularly the elderly and those without reliable heating.
Weather officials said the danger is not yet over, warning that freezing temperatures and strong winds will continue even as snowfall tapers off. The National Weather Service cautioned that prolonged cold could worsen the impact of power outages and increase the risk of further casualties. State and local governments have opened warming centres and deployed emergency resources, while federal agencies are monitoring the situation as communities brace for a slow and difficult recovery from one of the most severe winter storms of the season.
English