A massive winter storm sweeping across the United States has claimed lives and triggered widespread disruption, with New York City recording five deaths over the weekend as snow, ice and plunging temperatures battered large swathes of the country.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani confirmed the fatalities on Sunday, January 25, noting that investigations were ongoing to determine whether the deaths were directly linked to the severe weather. He, however, warned that the extreme cold poses serious risks, particularly to vulnerable populations.
The storm has brought the nation’s transport system to a near standstill, grounding thousands of flights and stranding travellers nationwide. LaGuardia Airport in New York was temporarily shut after heavy snowfall covered runways, halting operations at one of the country’s busiest airports. Aviation authorities estimate that roughly 10,000 flights have already been cancelled nationwide, with thousands more expected, marking one of the most severe disruptions in US aviation history.
Weather alerts are currently in effect for about 185 million people as the storm stretches across the eastern and central regions of the country. Snowfall in some areas has reached up to a foot, prompting at least 23 states to declare states of emergency. Icy conditions have knocked down power lines and trees, while panic buying ahead of the storm left grocery stores in several cities with empty shelves.
Power outages have affected close to one million customers across the country. Tennessee has been particularly hard hit, with more than 330,000 homes without electricity. In Louisiana, two men were reported to have died from hypothermia in Caddo Parish as freezing temperatures gripped the state.
Snow and freezing rain have blanketed much of the eastern half of the US, with significant accumulations reported in the Midwest and South. Several states recorded snowfall ranging from five to more than 13 inches, while strong winds near New York’s JFK International Airport further reduced visibility and worsened travel conditions.
Despite the chaos, scenes of resilience emerged as airport crews worked around the clock to clear runways in cities such as Philadelphia and Washington, DC. In some neighbourhoods, residents braved the cold to enjoy brief moments of recreation, sledding along snow-covered streets.
Meanwhile, the storm system has also generated severe weather threats in the South. Parts of Florida, Georgia and Alabama were placed under tornado watches, adding to the dangers already posed by snow and ice.
States currently under emergency declarations include Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia, as authorities warn that hazardous conditions may persist in the coming days.
