The winter storm’s impact continues to ripple across the United States, with widespread power outages, major travel disruptions and an increasing death toll, officials and news agencies reported Monday.
More than 1 million customers remained without power as of Monday morning, according to poweroutage.us data cited by The Associated Press, with the hardest hit areas including parts of the Southeast and Midwest. The Associated Press reported that multiple deaths have been linked to exposure, traffic crashes and other weather-related emergencies, and New York City officials told AP that several people were found outdoors in freezing temperatures. NBC News added that emergency responders in multiple states were continuing to respond to cold-related emergencies, including hypothermia cases and carbon monoxide poisonings resulting from improper indoor heating.
Air travel remained severely disrupted. Reuters reported that airlines canceled nearly 3,800 flights on Monday, following more than 11,000 cancellations on Sunday, making it one of the worst winter travel weekends in recent years. Reuters also reported that major airports including JFK, LaGuardia, Newark, Philadelphia and Washington Dulles experienced significant delays and cancellations as crews struggled to clear runways and manage snow and ice. ABC News reported that some airlines have begun rebooking passengers for later in the week, but warned that continued bad weather and the backlog of delayed flights could slow recovery.
Ground travel also remained hazardous. The Associated Press reported that road conditions were still dangerous across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, with many highways covered in ice and snow despite cleanup efforts. The National Weather Service, as reported by Reuters, warned that frigid temperatures would persist even after the precipitation ends, increasing risks of black ice, burst pipes and cold-related illness.
Public services and schools continued to be affected. ABC News reported that several school districts across the Northeast and Midwest remained closed or moved to remote learning due to unsafe road conditions. NBC News reported that local governments extended emergency declarations in several states to help deploy additional snow removal and utility repair crews.
The New York Times reported that utility companies in the Northeast and South were facing prolonged restoration timelines, with some customers warned they could remain without power for days due to extensive ice damage to lines and equipment. NYT also reported that local officials in several states were urging residents to conserve energy and avoid travel as the cold snap continued.
Authorities urged residents to stay off the roads unless travel was essential and to use caution with generators and heating sources to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. Officials also stressed that recovery would be slow in the hardest-hit regions and encouraged communities to check on vulnerable neighbors.
