At least 85 people lost their lives across the US, due to the consequences of a strong snowstorm and extremely low temperatures that reached minus 40 degrees, US officials said.
Half of the deaths were reported in Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana. While some deaths are the result of hypothermia, others are suspected to be the result of carbon monoxide exposure, due to the use of improvised heat sources in areas without electricity.
More than 230,000 homes and businesses are still without power, according to Poweroutage.us, after a massive winter storm hit the eastern US last weekend.
The most power outages continue to be in Mississippi and Tennessee, with about 87,000 customers without power in each of these states.
Forecasters are warning that the cold weather will last in the eastern US until at least February and that heavy snowfall is expected in North and South Carolina, Virginia and northeast Georgia over the weekend.
A historic ice storm snapped thousands of trees across parts of Mississippi and Tennessee over the weekend. pic.twitter.com/l6u8rfhH7D
— AccuWeather (@accuweather) January 29, 2026
Snow is also possible in parts of coastal North Carolina, as well as along the East Coast from Maryland to Maine.
With another wave of dangerous cold moving south, experts are warning that the risk of hypothermia is rising for residents in Mississippi and Tennessee, where many are entering a sixth day without power. Temperatures continue to drop below zero.
The U.S. National Weather Service said arctic air moving southeast will drop temperatures further, to around minus 10 degrees in cities like Nashville, where more than 79,000 homes and businesses are still without power.
Hundreds of National Guard members were mobilized in Mississippi and Tennessee to clear roads, help people trapped in vehicles and homes, and deliver essential supplies.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said troops were delivering food, blankets and other supplies by helicopter and truck, while Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said rescuers distributed more than 600 units of heating equipment and more than 8,300 liters of fuel.
(Vijesti.ba)
