At least 10 people die as winter storm grips US, millions left without power

The storm has prompted widespread travel disruption, including mass flight cancellations and warnings to motorists to stay off icy roads, while at least 20 states and Washington, DC, declared states of emergency.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said five people were found dead outdoors over the weekend in subzero temperatures, adding, "no more powerful reminder of the danger of extreme cold" during a press briefing, as quoted by Al Jazeera.

In Texas, authorities confirmed three deaths, including a 16-year-old girl killed in a sledding accident, and in Louisiana, two people died of hypothermia, state health officials said, reported Al Jazeera.

According to outage trackers, more than 840,000 customers were without electricity by Sunday night (local time), with the hardest-hit areas in the South where the storm intensified over the weekend. In Tennessee, ice brought down power lines, leaving more than 300,000 homes and businesses in the dark, while Louisiana, Mississippi and Georgia each reported more than 100,000 outages.

Officials warned that an Arctic air mass trailing the system would keep temperatures dangerously low for days, prolonging travel and infrastructure disruptions. Several major airports in New York, Philadelphia and Washington, DC, cancelled nearly all flights for the day as crews worked to clear runways.

The National Weather Service cautioned that heavy ice could lead to "long-duration power outages, extensive tree damage, and extremely dangerous or impassable travel conditions", particularly in states unaccustomed to severe winter weather, and urged residents to remain at home.

Authorities also warned of a life-threatening cold that could last for a week post-storm, especially in the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest, where wind chills are forecast to plunge to extreme lows. (ANI)