Millions of Americans are trying to get settled in their homes or go to help neighbors as bitter cold, snowstorms and freezing rain batter the country’s East Coast, Reuters reports.
From New York and Massachusetts in the northeast to North Carolina and Texas in the south, roads are covered in ice and often more than a foot of snow. Some southern states have not seen such severe weather conditions in decades. There, tree branches and power lines are covered in inches of ice.
Flights have been canceled, schools are closed and volunteers are gathering at shelters in the US to provide assistance to those in need. Some are driving their vehicles through city streets to look for people who have nowhere to go. A Tulsa, Oklahoma, resident said he simply felt the need to help.
Severe weather warnings have been issued for about 118 million people, and about 157 million are being urged to brace for temperatures that could reach minus 18 degrees Celsius near the Canadian border and even dip below freezing near the Gulf of Mexico.
Cold and icy conditions are expected to continue in the coming days.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she had mobilized the National Guard to help in New York City, Long Island and the Hudson Valley. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani joked that some students would be upset when he announced the school closures.
Snow, ice and wind have had a particularly severe impact on air travel, with more than 11,000 flights canceled on the 25th of January. More cancellations are expected on Monday.
More than 820,000 customers were without power in the southern states on Monday morning, with Tennessee the hardest hit.
Despite emergency warnings, many were enjoying the wintry weather, and a large crowd gathered in a park in the capital to take a picnic. One man was dressed in an astronaut costume. Families with children enjoyed the winter fun outside the Capitol.
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