More than 670 people were left without electricity and nearly 15 flights were canceled in the United States on Sunday (25), as a mega winter storm arrived that threatens to paralyze almost half the country this week with intense snowstorms, freezing rain, hail and extremely low temperatures.
The blackouts primarily affected the states of Mississippi, Texas, Tennessee, and Louisiana, where more than 100 customers were left without power. Impacts were also reported in Kentucky, Georgia, Virginia, and New Mexico, according to local authorities.
Meteorologists warned that the storm could hit about two-thirds of the eastern United States this week, posing significant risks to the population. At least 15 people died this past weekend.
The U.S. National Weather Service classified the event as exceptionally large and long-lasting, predicting significant ice accumulation in the Southeast, with "disabling to potentially catastrophic impacts."
Given the scenario, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, described the phenomenon as "historic" and approved, on Saturday, federal emergency declarations for the states of South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Indiana, and West Virginia.
“We will continue to monitor and stay in touch with all states in the path of this storm. Stay safe and warm,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
In total, 17 states and the District of Columbia have already declared a state of emergency, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security reported. "It's going to be very, very cold. We encourage everyone to stock up on fuel and food," said the department's secretary, Kristi Noem.
Impact on air transport
The bad weather also caused a collapse in air transport. According to the FlightAware website, about 10.000 flights scheduled for Sunday were canceled, in addition to another 4.000 on Saturday. Major US airlines issued alerts to passengers, recommending close attention to schedule changes and cancellations.
Risk of new blackouts
On Saturday (24), US electrical system operators intensified preventive measures to avoid rotating blackouts, given the expectation of high peaks in heating demand and the risk of damage to infrastructure caused by ice and strong winds.
Meteorologists also predict record-breaking cold temperatures and strong winds moving toward the Great Plains region, further increasing risks to public safety and the operation of power and transportation systems.
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