New york: Updates on a major winter storm battering several US states indicate at least 20 deaths, over 750,000 households are without power, and more than 10,000 flights have been cancelled. A severe winter storm in the United States, nicknamed Winter Storm Fern, has affected a wide area spanning over 3,200 miles from New Mexico to New England.
According to Thai News Agency, at least 20-25 people have died, primarily from hypothermia, especially among homeless people in New York City, accidents on icy roads, and snow-related incidents. More than 10,000 flights have been cancelled since the weekend, and this number could reach 19,000 including delayed flights. Major airports across the country, from Dallas and Charlotte to Chicago, New York, and Washington, D.C., have been largely shut down. As of yesterday, over 750,000 households remained without power, mostly in southern states such as Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana, due to thick ice causing power poles and tree branches to fall.
So far, at least 21 states, including Washington, D.C., have declared a state of emergency to deal with the storm, which has led to school closures and road closures across the country as freezing rain creates icy conditions and makes travel dangerous. Temperatures dropped below freezing on Monday morning, with some areas potentially experiencing temperatures as low as -31 degrees Celsius through Tuesday.
The U.S. National Weather Service forecasts that snow will gradually decrease throughout Monday, from southern Texas to northeastern New England, but central and eastern U.S. will experience further cold spells.