Winter Storm Strikes US: Tragedy and Disruption Unfold

Mon Feb 02 2026 17:42:06 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A severe winter storm has claimed lives and disrupted travel across the U.S., sparking widespread power outages and hazardous road conditions.

As a powerful winter storm blankets much of the U.S. in snow, several fatal accidents have been reported alongside massive flight cancellations and power outages affecting over 200,000 people. The storm's impacts are particularly felt in states from Texas to Maine and Canadian regions like Ontario, with predictions of another storm looming on the horizon.

Several people have died in a winter storm that hit a wide swath of the US, causing thousands of flights to be cancelled or delayed due to conditions.

The storm, which caused chaos from Texas to the tip of Maine over the weekend, snarled roadways, knocked out power, and buried major cities under a thick blanket of snow.

At least a dozen people have been killed in several US states. Some areas in the northeast saw over 20 inches (50.8 cm) of snow in the last 24 hours, according to the National Weather Service (NWS), and Canadian officials said the storm has seriously disrupted southern Ontario.

Forecasters warn another significant winter storm could hit the eastern US again this weekend.

More than 200,000 people had lost power in Tennessee as of Monday afternoon. The city experienced a deep freeze that plunged residents into cold and darkness.

There are many trees down and power lines blocking the roads, Joy Flores, vice president of the Nashville Rescue Mission homeless shelter, told the BBC. Her centre was taking calls from residents who had lost power.

The roads were icy and impossible to navigate, Flores said, and her home had no heating, no internet, and no coffee.

In New York City, a total of eight people had died between Friday and Monday morning, according to city officials, as temperatures plummeted into the single digits.

New York City's Central Park registered 11.4 inches of snow as of Monday morning, according to the NWS.

In Texas, a teenage girl died and another was in critical condition due to a sledding accident, the Frisco Police Department announced.

In North Carolina, a man was found dead on the side of a highway in Buncombe County and authorities are investigating whether his death was weather-related. Louisiana's department of health reported two fatalities due to hypothermia.

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healy warned the state's residents on Monday that it's not over yet, as one to five inches of snowfall was expected on Monday.

In Canada, Ottawa and Quebec saw the heaviest impacts from the storm, leading to transportation issues and multiple school closures.

Toronto Pearson Airport recorded 18.1 inches (46 cm) of snow fall on Sunday, a new record for the site, according to CBC.

On Monday, U.S. airline customers continued to experience frustrations with over 19,000 delays and 5,900 cancellations reported, according to FlightAware.

The NWS cautioned that forecasters did not yet know the potential path of the next storm, which could bring very cold temperatures and widespread heavy precipitation.