Winter Storm Fern hit large areas of the United States, leaving more than 1 million people without electricity service and causing more than 17,000 flights to be canceled throughout the North American territory; Likewise, 20 states are in emergency, according to official reports. In addition, local media claim that at least five people have died from hypothermia.
The weather system mainly affected the center and east of the country, with heavy snowfall, freezing rain, intense winds and extreme temperatures, creating dangerous conditions on roads, airports and power grids.
According to the PowerOutage.us portal, blackouts were recorded most intensely in Texas, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia and Pennsylvania, where ice accumulation and falling trees damaged electrical transmission lines.
The first regions to experience the effects of the storm were New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, where significant snow accumulations have already been recorded. In Farmington, New Mexico, up to 20 centimeters of snow was reported, while Norman, Oklahoma, recorded 7.6 centimeters.
About 338,000 residential and commercial customers were without power in Tennessee, while Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana, where such storms are rare, each recorded more than 100,000 power outages.
Authorities reported that restoration work has been complicated, while thousands of homes remain without electricity in the midst of the extreme cold.
Emergency teams and electrical companies continue working to restore supply and clear roads, while maintaining vigilance for the possible arrival of new snowfall in the coming days.
For its part, Donald Trump’s Government declared a meteorological emergency, while authorities asked the population to protect themselves and stock up on possible catastrophic impacts.
Given the magnitude of the phenomenon, Trump referred to the situation through his X account.
«I have been informed about the record cold snap and historic winter storm hitting much of the United States this weekend. The Trump administration is coordinating with state and local authorities. FEMA [Agencia Federal para el Manejo de Emergencias] is fully prepared to respond. “Stay safe and warm!” said the president.
In the air sector, the storm caused the highest number of flight cancellations in a single day since the pandemic, affecting key airports such as Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, New York, Denver and Washington, where operations were suspended for security reasons.
Thousands of passengers were stranded in terminals, where they faced delays, rescheduling and a shortage of available flights, while airlines activated contingency plans. “The safety of passengers and crews is our priority, which is why operations have been limited due to extreme weather conditions,” the airlines said in official statements.
Media such as Fox Weather reported that up to 93% of the day’s operations could be affected, while monitoring platforms confirm that La Guardia is one of the hardest hit airports. Other media outlets indicate that supermarkets have experienced panic buying, with empty shelves in cities such as Washington, Atlanta and St. Louis, recalling the scenes at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The storm, described as “unusually extensive and long-lasting” by the National Weather Service (NWS), is caused by the arrival of an arctic air mass from Canada, experts explained.
Related
#DeSantis #signed #tougher #immigration #laws #Florida #including #death #penalty