A colossal winter onslaught has thrown U.S. life into disarray, burying areas in snow and ice, knocking out power to 132,000+ homes, and spurring emergencies across 20+ states amid bone-chilling cold.
37 states under alert sheltered 190 million from Rockies to New England onslaughts. Ice storms scarred New Mexico-Tennessee corridors; snow deluges hit Midwest, Mid-Atlantic. Central/eastern temps felt minus 20-30 degrees with winds, 10-40 below normal—Weather Service data.
Southern/Southwest grids crumbled: Texas 57,000 outages Saturday PM; Louisiana 45,000, northern epicenter.
Skies cleared of 9,000 weekend flights; Sunday forecasts aviation apocalypse. Top casualties: Dallas-Fort Worth, Charlotte, Nashville.
20 states plus D.C. went emergency mode—Texas, NY, NJ, PA, GA, Carolinas, VA, etc. Trump’s federal OKs unleashed FEMA.
‘Follow local emergency managers—they’re responding on ground,’ per Sec. Kristi Noem. ‘Feds support states.’ Guard in 12 states: snow removal, traveler aid, community bolster.
South Carolina Gov. McMaster: brace for days without power, ice-heavy. ‘Worst in 20 years,’ per meteorologists; VA Gov. Spanberger: ‘destructive.’ D.C. Monday closures/telework; NJ transit suspended.
Texas energy fears amplified. Slow thaw next week, but NE/Great Lakes holdout. Directive: hunker down, no travel, prepare long-haul.