Over Forty Reported Dead as Historic Winter Storm Batters U.S.

(MENAFN) A catastrophic winter blast has claimed dozens of lives and left hundreds of thousands stranded in darkness Tuesday, after record-shattering snowfall and ice ravaged communities from the U.S. Northeast through southern states over the weekend.

Bone-chilling temperatures persisted even as the historic storm system moved offshore Monday. Approximately 220 million Americans faced extreme cold alerts, with warnings blanketing regions from Texas and Florida northward to New York.

Media confirmed at least 45 weather-related fatalities nationwide by Tuesday.

Tragedy struck Fannin County, Texas, where three brothers—ages 6, 8, and 9—perished Monday after plunging through ice covering a pond, according to police. In New York City, authorities discovered 10 individuals dead from exposure to the elements.

Power remained cut for over 400,000 customers as of 11:00 p.m. ET Tuesday (0400 GMT Wednesday). Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana bore the brunt of devastation, where ice accumulation caused tree branches and electrical infrastructure to collapse under the weight, triggering mass blackouts.

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves reported Tuesday that dozens of counties desperately needed bottled water, blankets, tarps, fuel, and generators. The Federal Emergency Management Agency was deploying supply-laden trucks to affected areas, he added.

Nashville, Tennessee, and surrounding areas still grappled with more than 110,000 outages Tuesday. Nashville Electric Service announced via social media that over 740 workers were mobilizing to restore service. Educational institutions will remain shuttered Wednesday and Thursday, officials confirmed.

Carbon monoxide poisoning hospitalized 46 children in Nashville on Sunday alone. The wave of cases emerged as families resorted to dangerous heating methods during prolonged outages.

The U.S. aviation infrastructure gradually recovered after Sunday's staggering 12,500-plus flight cancellations—the highest single-day total since the pandemic era.

Cancellations reached approximately 6,300 Monday and nearly 2,700 Tuesday, according to FlightAware, a flight tracking service.

American Airlines characterized the event as the most disruptive storm in its century-long history. The carrier has scrapped more than 9,000 flights and anticipates continued disruptions for at least 48 additional hours.

The National Weather Service warned that another winter system could pummel portions of the East Coast this weekend, potentially bringing record-breaking low temperatures as far south as Florida.

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