Millions left without electricity due to severe winter storm nationwide

A widespread winter storm is affecting millions of people across the United States, causing hazardous conditions and prompting warnings to stay off roads. As of 2:14pm EST on Sunday, over 1 million customers were without electricity, with most affected in Tennessee. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a warning for “dangerous travel and infrastructure impacts” that are expected to last for several days.

The storm is forecast to impact the eastern two-thirds of the nation on Sunday and into the week, bringing heavy snowfall and freezing rain. Temperatures are expected to plummet below freezing in many areas, with wind chill lows forecast to reach extreme levels in some regions. The NWS has warned that “long-duration power outages” and “extensive tree damage” are possible.

According to PowerOutage.us, nearly 20 states have declared weather emergencies, while the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has pre-positioned commodities, staff, and search-and-rescue teams in numerous states. The Department of Energy has issued an emergency order to authorise grid operator PJM Interconnection to run “specified resources” in the mid-Atlantic region.

The storm is expected to affect over 213 million people under some sort of winter weather warning, spanning from New Mexico to New England. Scientists say that climate change may be linked to the increasing frequency of such disruptions to the polar vortex. The US President has approved federal emergency disaster declarations, urging Americans to take precautions and stay safe.

Major US airlines have warned passengers to stay alert for abrupt flight changes and cancellations, with over 10,000 flights cancelled on Sunday alone. The NWS has also warned that “catastrophic ice accumulation” is possible in some areas, causing “extremely dangerous or impassable travel conditions”.

Source: Al Jazeera