Impact on 245 Million People The storm has affected over 245 million people, leading to widespread power outages and the cancellation of thousands of flights. The storm also set a new record before the snowfall began, as it became the largest number of U.S. counties under winter storm warnings at the same time. President Donald Trump described the storms as "historic," announcing his approval of a federal disaster emergency declaration for several states, including South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Indiana, and West Virginia. Trump wrote on the Truth Social platform: "We will continue to monitor and communicate with all states in the path of this storm. Stay safe, and keep warm." Catastrophic Effects The U.S. Department of Homeland Security reported that 17 states, in addition to the District of Columbia, have declared emergencies due to the weather. Homeland Security Secretary Kristjen Nielsen stated that "tens of thousands of residents in affected southern states have lost power," confirming that utility crews are working to restore power as quickly as possible. The number of power outages continued to rise, with data from the PowerOutage website, which tracks electricity in the United States, showing that by 2 AM Eastern Time, about 217,000 customers were without electricity, primarily concentrated in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, and Tennessee. As a precautionary measure, the U.S. Department of Energy issued an emergency order allowing the Electric Reliability Council of Texas to use backup generation sources in data centers and large facilities in an effort to mitigate widespread outages. The National Weather Service also warned of a "widespread and unusually long-lasting winter storm," predicting heavy ice accumulations in the southeastern U.S., with "crippling and potentially catastrophic local impacts." It is also expected that record low temperatures and extremely cold winds will extend into the Great Plains by Monday. Flight Cancellations and Alert According to data from FlightAware, over 4,000 flights have been canceled, in addition to more than 9,400 other flights scheduled for Sunday. Major U.S. airlines urged travelers to monitor updates in anticipation of sudden changes, and Delta Airlines announced that it continues to adjust its schedules, with additional cancellations in Atlanta and along the East Coast, including Boston and New York, noting that experts are being brought in from cold-weather airports to assist with de-icing and ground handling operations in southern airports. For its part, JetBlue reported canceling about 1,000 flights through Monday, with the possibility of more cancellations, while United Airlines confirmed that it has proactively canceled some flights in the areas most affected by the weather conditions. Power Grids Under Pressure Meanwhile, electricity grid operators have intensified their measures to avoid resorting to rolling blackouts, and Dominion Energy, which operates in Virginia and includes the largest concentration of data centers in the world, indicated that the storm could be among the largest winter events affecting its operations if ice forecasts prove accurate. At the conclusion of a press conference regarding federal government preparations, the Secretary of Homeland Security urged Americans to exercise caution, stating: "The weather will be extremely cold; we urge everyone to stock up on fuel and food, and we will get through this crisis together."
