A powerful and unusually widespread winter storm has brought large parts of the United States to a standstill, leaving at least 10 people dead, plunging over 800,000 households into darkness, and forcing the cancellation of more than 10,000 flights as of Sunday.
According to data from PowerOutage.us, cited by Reuters, power outages surged as the storm intensified. By Sunday morning, more than 800,000 customers across the US were without electricity. The hardest-hit state was Tennessee, which alone accounted for nearly 300,000 outages. Mississippi, Texas and Louisiana each reported more than 100,000 power cuts, while Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina and Alabama were also significantly affected.
☀️Sunshine is on the way! ☀️
— NWS Raleigh (@NWSRaleigh) January 26, 2026
Clear skies are already moving into the far NW Piedmont and will gradually spread east through the day. Sunshine should reach the Raleigh area around noon.
*Look closely on the map: as the clouds shift east you can see the snow/sleet on the ground* pic.twitter.com/XrDR6F3nLn
Forecasters have described the storm as “historic,” warning that it could paralyse the eastern two-thirds of the country. The system is bringing a dangerous mix of heavy snowfall, sleet, freezing rain and record-low temperatures, with wind chills posing life-threatening risks.
Responding to the growing crisis, President Donald Trump approved federal emergency disaster declarations for multiple states, including South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Indiana and West Virginia. The declarations allow federal agencies to assist state and local authorities in emergency response and recovery efforts.
“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 on Truth Social.
I have been briefed on the Record Cold Wave and Historic Winter Storm that will be hitting much of the United States this weekend. The Trump Administration is coordinating with State and Local Officials. FEMA is fully prepared to respond. Stay Safe and Stay Warm! President DJT https://t.co/t524rfMjvj
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 24, 2026
The US Department of Energy (DOE) issued emergency orders over the weekend to protect power grid stability. On Saturday, it authorized the Electric Reliability Council of Texas to activate backup generators at data centres and other large facilities. On Sunday, similar emergency authority was granted to PJM Interconnection, allowing it to operate additional resources across the mid-Atlantic region—even if it meant temporarily bypassing certain environmental or state restrictions.
Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that 17 states and the District of Columbia have declared weather emergencies. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem urged Americans to prepare for extreme cold conditions. “It’s going to be very, very cold,” she said, advising residents to stock up on fuel and food.
The National Weather Service warned that the storm could cause heavy ice accumulation across the southeastern US, with impacts described as “crippling to locally catastrophic.” Meteorologists also forecast dangerous wind chills and record-breaking low temperatures spreading into the Great Plains early this week.
Air travel has been severely disrupted. Flight-tracking service FlightAware reported that more than 10,100 flights were cancelled on Sunday, following over 4,000 cancellations on Saturday. Major airlines scrambled to adjust operations. Delta Air Lines cancelled numerous flights in Atlanta, Boston and New York, while JetBlue scrapped nearly 1,000 flights through Monday. United Airlines also announced proactive cancellations in the worst-hit regions.
Electric utilities have stepped up preparations. Dominion Energy warned that if ice forecasts hold true, the storm could rank among the most significant winter events ever to hit its Virginia service area, which includes one of the world’s largest clusters of data centres.
Authorities continue to urge residents to avoid unnecessary travel, conserve energy, and remain indoors as the storm system advances.
