Key Takeaways:
- A massive winter storm has dumped snow and ice across the US, leaving over a dozen deaths and over a million electric customers without power.
- The storm has caused significant infrastructure damage, particularly in the South, with downed trees and power lines, and icy roads.
- Over 200 million people are under cold alerts, with frigid temperatures expected to linger for days.
- The storm has caused widespread power outages, with over 750,000 electric customers still without power as of midday Monday.
- Travel by road and air has been severely disrupted, with over 11,600 flights canceled on Sunday and 4,500 on Monday.
Introduction to the Storm’s Aftermath
The recent winter storm that swept across the US has left a trail of destruction and chaos in its wake. Chris Dobry, a resident of Greenwood, Mississippi, experienced the full force of the storm firsthand. As he stepped outside his home on Sunday, he was met with downed trees and thick ice covering power lines in his neighborhood. The scene was one of devastation, with trees literally breaking apart under the weight of the ice. Dobry’s experience is just one example of the crippling aftermath of the storm, which has left over a dozen people dead and over a million electric customers without power.
The Storm’s Impact on the US
The storm’s impact has been felt across the US, with at least 12 storm- and cold-related deaths reported in several states, including Massachusetts, Tennessee, Kansas, New York, Texas, Louisiana, and Michigan. The ice from the storm has caused major power outages across the southern US, particularly in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Over 200 million people are under cold alerts, with frigid temperatures expected to linger for days, extending the misery into later this week. The brutal cold is setting new daily record cold temperatures in the Plains, with more records expected to fall in the South and East as the cold lasts through at least this week.
Infrastructure Damage and Power Outages
The most significant infrastructure damage was across a swath of the South, where ice made roads slick, snapped tree limbs, and weighed down power lines. Northern Mississippi and Nashville, Tennessee, are looking at prolonged recovery periods due to the number of downed trees and power lines. As of midday Monday, there were about 750,000 electric customers without power, including 250,000 in Tennessee, over 150,000 in Mississippi, and over 120,000 in Louisiana. The damage to trees and vegetation is devastating, with many trees still standing but at risk of snapping in the coming days under the continued strain of the ice. High winds, too, can push trees and power lines to their breaking point, with wind gusts up to 25 mph possible in parts of the Southeast on Monday.
Travel Disruptions and Restoration Efforts
Travel by road will be treacherous, while air travel nearly ground to a halt on Sunday, with airlines canceling over 11,600 flights, the highest cancellation day since Covid-19 shut down travel in March 2020. About 4,500 US flights were canceled on Monday, too, affecting major airports stretching from Dallas to Boston. The Weather Prediction Center had warned before the storm of "catastrophic ice accumulation," and that forecast held up for parts of the South. Repairs and restoration to electrical infrastructure in northern Mississippi will be "prolonged" due to widespread damage and unsafe conditions, according to Keith Hayward, CEO of the Northeast Mississippi Electric Power Association (NEMEPA). Crews temporarily stopped work overnight for safety, and while modern upgrades may speed repairs compared to 1994, Hayward warned restoration won’t be quick.
Restoration Efforts and Challenges
In Tennessee, this storm marked the highest number of outages at one time in the Nashville Electric Service’s history, with a peak of 230,000. The company said it had restored power to 60,000 customers in the Nashville metro area on Monday morning, but another 175,000 customers were still without power. At least 97 broken poles were reported across its service area, and more than 70 distribution circuits were out and being restored. The storm has snapped poles and downed lines across the area, with around 24,000 NEMEPA customers, more than 75% of its customers, still without power in northern Mississippi as of midday Monday. The damage from the storm is expected to take days, if not weeks, to fully repair, with crews working around the clock to restore power and repair infrastructure.