In recent days, a severe winter storm has claimed at least 11 lives in the United States and has left over a million Americans without electricity.
New York has been significantly affected by the freezing temperatures. Mayor Zohran Mamdani revealed on X that at least five individuals have died, with their causes of death still pending confirmation.
“It is a reminder that every year New Yorkers succumb to the cold,” Mamdani noted in a statement.
New York State Governor Kathy Hochul advised residents to stay indoors due to the harsh weather conditions.
“This is certainly the coldest weather we’ve seen, the coldest winter storm we’ve seen in years,” she stated on Sunday (January 25). “A sort of an arctic siege has taken over our state and many other states across the nation.”
In Tennessee, officials have reported three ‘weather-related fatalities’. Similar tragedies have occurred in Kansas, Texas, Louisiana, and Michigan.
Throughout the weekend, over one million people experienced power outages across the US. Although this number has decreased, approximately 867,000 customers remain without power, according to PowerOutage.us.
Tennessee has seen the most significant number of outages, with many residents in Mississippi and Louisiana still lacking electricity.
As conditions are expected to improve by Monday (January 26), authorities continue to urge the public to stay cautious, especially in Georgia, where the cold may persist.
Josh Lamb, Georgia’s emergency management chief, advised, “Please continue to stay off the roads as much as possible. This will give Georgia DOT [Department of Transportation] crews the room they need to maintain the condition of the roads.”
“If travel is necessary, slow down, allow extra time and be especially careful on bridges and overpasses as they freeze,” he added.
A heartbreaking event occurred in Massachusetts, where a woman died after being hit by a snowplow truck while she and her husband walked at the Commuter Rail Norwood Central station around 2pm local time on Sunday (January 25).
The incident is under investigation, with police issuing a statement: “This is an unimaginable horrific incident. On behalf of the Transit Police and the entire MBTA organization we express our most sincere condolences to the victim’s family and friends. Our thought and prayers are with them.”