Kennesaw (US), Jan 27 (AP): A deadly winter storm that swept across the US South, leaving crippling ice in its wake and dumping heavy snow across the Northeast, has begun moving out to sea, but its effects are still being felt by thousands of Americans. More than 800,000 people were reported without power nationwide on Monday morning, with Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana among the hardest hit. In Nashville, over 150,000 customers were left without electricity, while Mississippi saw around 160,000 outages and Louisiana about 115,000. Officials warned that full restoration could take several days in some areas.
The storm left a trail of destruction, with residents describing terrifying conditions as ice-laden trees and power lines collapsed. Adrian Ronca-Hohn, a football coach in Iuka, Mississippi, recounted, “It was like a war zone. You couldn’t go 10 seconds without hearing what sounded like a gunshot,” describing trees snapping and crashing around his neighborhood. As temperatures are expected to plunge well below freezing early Tuesday, those without power, heat, or water face severe hardships. “We have a lot of people without heat, without power and without water,” Ronca-Hohn said, noting that poorly insulated mobile homes make the situation even worse.
Across the affected region, ice accumulation reached about an inch in parts of Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Alabama, and South Carolina, while sleet measured up to 6.7 inches in Little Rock, Arkansas. In Sterling, Massachusetts, snow totals reached 22.2 inches. In Nashville, authorities opened 47 warming centers to help residents charge phones and stay safe from the cold. Meanwhile, temperatures inside homes plummeted, with one Oxford, Mississippi, resident reporting indoor temperatures of just 50°F after losing power.
Emergency responders are working tirelessly to restore electricity and clear debris, but some communities face extended outages, with officials in Allen County, Kentucky, warning that it could take up to 10 days to fully restore power. Amid the chaos, more than 200 dogs were rescued from rural Mississippi by the nonprofit Paws of War before the ice storm hit.
As the storm system moves away, officials cautioned that dangerously cold temperatures will persist, leaving those without power vulnerable. Authorities continue to urge residents to take precautions and use available warming centers while crews work to bring power back to affected areas.
Category: Breaking News
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