Washington, United States. More than 500,000 customers across the United States, as far west as Texas, were without power as a major winter storm approached, and more than 9,600 flights were expected to be canceled on Sunday.
Storm forecast and expected impacts
Forecasters said snow, sleet, freezing rain, and dangerously frigid temperatures would sweep the eastern two-thirds of the country on Sunday and continue into the week, threatening to disrupt large parts of the eastern United States with heavy snowfall.
Emergency declarations and federal response
President Donald Trump described the storms as “historic” and on Saturday approved federal emergency disaster declarations in South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Indiana, and West Virginia. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said his administration would continue to monitor the storm and stay in touch with states in its path, urging people to stay safe and warm.
State weather emergencies and public warnings
Seventeen states and the District of Columbia declared weather emergencies, according to the Department of Homeland Security. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, speaking at a news conference on Saturday, urged Americans to take precautions, saying it would be very cold and encouraging people to stock up on fuel and food. Noem also said utility crews were working to restore power as quickly as possible.
Power outages and affected areas
Outages continued to rise. As of 7.23am EST on Sunday, more than 500,000 US customers were without electricity, according to PowerOutage.us, including more than 100,000 each in Mississippi, Texas, and Tennessee. Louisiana and New Mexico were also among the affected states.
Energy measures in Texas
The Department of Energy issued an emergency order on Saturday authorizing the Electric Reliability Council of Texas to deploy backup generation resources at data centers and other major facilities, aiming to limit blackouts in the state.
How is your area preparing for the winter storm and potential disruptions?
