At Least 18 Dead as Severe Winter Storm Batters United States

At least 18 people have died across the United States as a powerful winter storm continues to batter large parts of the country, while more than 800,000 homes have been left without electricity as of Sunday.

According to the BBC, at least two people died from hypothermia in the state of Louisiana. Officials in Kansas said they recovered the body of a woman buried under snow, who is also believed to have died from hypothermia. Hypothermia occurs when the body’s temperature drops dangerously low due to extreme cold. In Tennessee, three storm-related deaths have been reported.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a post on X that at least five people died in the city on Saturday, although the causes of death were not immediately known. New York Governor Kathy Hochul urged residents to stay indoors as dangerous conditions persist.

Nearly half of all US states have declared a state of emergency, with the storm expected to continue through Monday. As a precaution, many schools have already canceled classes. In Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a state of emergency, warning that the city is facing its worst snowstorm in a decade.

Experts cautioned that one of the biggest risks from the storm is falling tree branches and downed power lines due to heavy snow accumulation. Icy roads have also significantly increased the risk of accidents. Authorities in Virginia and Kentucky have already responded to hundreds of crash-related emergency calls.

The severe weather has forced the closure of multiple highways and the cancellation of thousands of flights nationwide. Flight-tracking company FlightAware reported that more than 11,000 flights have been canceled so far.

The US National Weather Service warned that heavy snowfall and freezing rain could persist for an extended period, potentially affecting nearly 180 million people across the country. Meteorologist Allison Santorelli said that snow and ice are expected to melt very slowly, posing the biggest obstacle to a return to normal life.

The storm has also impacted neighboring Canada. Weather forecasts warn that Ontario could receive between five and eleven inches of snow, prompting the cancellation of hundreds of flights across the country.