Daijiworld Media Network - New York
New York, Jan 24: A massive winter storm sweeping across the United States has brought freezing rain to parts of Texas and threatens to unleash snow, sleet, ice and bone-chilling temperatures across nearly half the country, with forecasters warning that damage from ice accumulation could rival that caused by a hurricane.
As of Friday, at least 182 million people were under winter storm watches or warnings for snow and ice, while more than 210 million were placed under cold weather advisories or warnings, with many regions experiencing overlapping alerts. Utility companies across affected states are bracing for widespread power outages, as ice-laden trees and power lines are expected to snap even after the storm passes.
Freezing rain slickened roads in Lubbock, Texas, as temperatures plunged, while residents in Dallas rushed to stock up on essentials. “It’s going to be a big storm,” said Maricela Resendiz, who said she planned to stay indoors with her family through the weekend.
The storm has already disrupted daily life across large swathes of the country. Schools in Chicago and several Midwestern cities cancelled classes, airlines grounded thousands of flights, churches shifted Sunday services online, and major events were altered or called off. The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville announced it would hold its Saturday night broadcast without a live audience, while carnival parades in Louisiana were cancelled or rescheduled.
Nationwide, nearly 5,000 flights were delayed or cancelled on Friday, with another 2,800 called off for Saturday, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware. Dallas and Chicago were among the worst-hit hubs.
The storm system, driven initially by a surge of Arctic air from Canada, has already caused wind chills to plunge to dangerous levels in the Midwest. In parts of North Dakota, wind chills dropped to minus 41 degrees Celsius, prompting warnings that frostbite could set in within 10 minutes. Despite the extreme cold, thousands gathered in downtown Minneapolis to protest an immigration crackdown.
After moving through the South, the storm is forecast to track northeast, dumping up to a foot of snow from Washington through New York to Boston, the National Weather Service said. Boston declared a cold emergency through the weekend, while Connecticut officials warned that travel restrictions may be imposed if conditions worsen. Philadelphia announced school closures for Monday.
State and federal agencies have been placed on high alert. In Oklahoma, highways were treated with salt brine, police cancelled days off, and National Guard units were activated to assist stranded motorists. The federal government has placed nearly 30 search-and-rescue teams on standby, along with millions of meals, hundreds of thousands of blankets and hundreds of generators, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
President Donald Trump said his administration was coordinating closely with state and local authorities and that FEMA was “fully prepared to respond”.
Officials remain particularly concerned about prolonged power outages. In at least 11 southern states, a majority of homes rely on electricity for heating. Memories remain fresh of the severe cold snap five years ago that crippled Texas’ power grid, leaving millions without electricity for days and resulting in hundreds of deaths. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has assured residents that steps have been taken to prevent a repeat, with utility companies deploying thousands of additional workers.
As temperatures remain below freezing even after the storm passes, authorities warn that frozen pipes, downed power lines and dangerous road conditions could persist for days, urging residents to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel.