A powerful winter storm that began in Texas and the northern Gulf Coast has now moved eastward, blanketing the region in heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain. Parts of the Florida Panhandle, Georgia, and the eastern Carolinas are experiencing extreme weather conditions, with Arctic air from the North Pole plunging much of the Midwest and eastern US into a deep freeze.
So far, the storm has resulted in three reported deaths due to dangerous below-freezing temperatures and bone-chilling wind chills. In big cities like Jacksonville, Florida, residents are grappling with accumulating ice and snowfall. Jacksonville International Airport, after closing on Tuesday evening, plans to reopen Wednesday afternoon. Schools have canceled classes, and government offices remain shut down.
FlightAware.com reports that over 1,300 flights have been canceled, and more than 900 are delayed. Airports in Houston and New Orleans are cautiously resuming operations, with nearly all flights halted on Tuesday. New Orleans saw its first snowfall in over a decade, recording up to 10 inches in some areas—breaking its previous record of 2.7 inches set in December 1963.
According to PowerOutages.us, more than 132,000 customers, including 50,000 in Georgia and 43,000 in Florida, are without power as the storm continues. In response, governors in Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida have declared states of emergency. Many schools have canceled in-person activities for both Tuesday and Wednesday.
In New York, at least a dozen counties have declared emergencies, with lake-effect snow expected to accumulate up to 2 feet around Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. The region is bracing for extreme cold conditions through Wednesday.
This historic winter storm is leaving millions across the US grappling with life-threatening conditions and disruption, as authorities work to restore normalcy.
