Latest news Winter storm in the USA: One million customers without power
The consequences of the winter storm in the USA are becoming increasingly severe. More than one million electricity customers were affected by outages on Sunday afternoon (US East Coast local time), according to the overview website poweroutage.us, which compiles data from energy suppliers. There were outages in households in southern states such as Tennessee, Texas and Louisiana, but regions on the east coast were also affected.
25.01.2026, 21:18
25.01.2026, 21:47
SDA
One problem for the energy supply is the weight of the snow and ice on the above-ground lines. Falling trees can also interrupt the supply.
Two men froze to death
In the meantime, there have also been fatalities due to the winter storm. Two men died of hypothermia in the Caddo Parish region in the state of Louisiana, according to the responsible health authority. The age of the men is unknown.
The winter storm hit the South, Midwest and also the East Coast of the United States. According to the authorities, 190 million US residents were affected. The states and also the US government asked the inhabitants of the United States to stay at home.
For days, US meteorologists have been warning of one of the biggest winter storms in recent years. Numerous states have declared a state of emergency in order to be able to mobilize aid funds and personnel more quickly in the event of an emergency.
White blanket of snow covers New York and Washington
In the US capital Washington, there was nothing going on on the normally busy highway. The streets in the city were also empty. Ronald Reagan Airport, which Americans use for domestic flights, had canceled virtually all flights.
Residents of the capital were asked to have flashlights ready and to charge their cell phones as a precaution. The offices of the federal authorities are to remain closed on Monday. Despite the tense situation, the cityscape was also characterized by cheerful winter scenes: people were seen skiing in the middle of Washington and children were seen sledding down the snow-covered slopes of the Capitol, where the US Parliament is located.
In the early hours of the morning, the temperature in Washington was minus nine degrees, in New York minus twelve degrees. Gradually, a white blanket of snow covered the metropolises, including Central Park in the heart of New York. According to NBC News, centers were to open in all five boroughs where New Yorkers could warm up. The streets remained largely empty in the morning and snow clearing vehicles were in constant use.
Snow, ice and unusually cold weather
CNN reported 58 centimetres of snow from the town of Crested Butte in Colorado - formerly a mining community and now a popular winter sports destination. In parts of Oklahoma, up to 20 centimetres fell. Some took advantage of the wintry weather for leisure activities: The broadcaster showed images of people in Oklahoma enjoying themselves sledding.
The freezing rain was particularly dangerous, causing a layer of ice around two centimetres thick in parts of Louisiana, according to CNN. Mississippi was also warned of ice deposits.
Major challenges for travelers - thousands of flights canceled
According to the authorities, the weather led to significant traffic disruptions and road closures, some of which could last for several days. People were urged not to leave their homes if possible and to leave their cars at home.
Schools in many major US cities have canceled classes or switched to distance learning for Monday, for example in New York City, Philadelphia, Boston and Houston, as reported by CNN.
More than 15,000 flights were also canceled over the weekend, CNN reported. Photos from the US capital Washington showed deserted terminals.
