Winter storm death toll rises as Arctic cold intensifies, power outages persist

At least 50 people have died as bitter cold and a massive winter storm gripped the eastern United States, with forecasters warning that conditions could worsen significantly this weekend. The storm dumped deep snow across more than 1,300 miles from Arkansas to New England and left parts of the South coated in treacherous ice, leaving more than 410,000 homes and businesses without power Tuesday evening. Freezing temperatures that reached as far south as Tennessee and North Carolina were expected to plunge again overnight, with parts of northern Florida forecast to sink to 25 degrees Fahrenheit.

The prolonged deep freeze poses immediate risks to life and health, with officials warning that exposure of as little as 10 minutes could result in frostbite or hypothermia, while power outages leave residents without heat in subfreezing conditions.

The death toll from the massive winter storm gripping the eastern United States has climbed to at least 50, with forecasters warning that Arctic conditions will intensify further this weekend. The storm’s legacy of deep snow and treacherous ice continues to strand hundreds of thousands of people without power, unable to heat their homes as temperatures plummet to dangerous levels.

Three Texas brothers — ages 6, 8, and 9 — were among those who died as the cold deepened. According to Fannin County Sheriff Cody Shook, they fell through ice on a private pond near Bonham, Texas, on Monday. Their mother, Cheyenne Hangaman, told the Associated Press she ran into the freezing water and desperately tried to save them.

“They were just screaming, telling me to help them,” Hangaman said. “And I watched all of them struggle, struggle to stay above the water. I watched all of them fight.”

The boys’ deaths reflected the storm’s indiscriminate toll. Deaths were reported across more than a dozen states, including two people hit by snowplows in Massachusetts and Ohio, two teenagers killed while sledding in Arkansas and Texas, and a man found in his Indianapolis-area home with no heat. In New York City, officials said 10 people had been found dead outdoors in the cold.

Outages and emergency measures

More than 410,000 homes and businesses remained without power Tuesday evening across the South, with Tennessee and Mississippi accounting for more than half the outages. In Nashville alone, more than 110,000 outages persisted, and Nashville Electric Service said it had dispatched more than 740 workers to restore service.

The city opened emergency shelters as the crisis deepened. Nearly 440 people spent Monday night at community centers, while another 1,400 stayed at local homeless shelters. Many residents booked hotel rooms to escape homes without power or adequate heating.

Lisa Patterson, a Nashville resident, had prepared for winter but said nothing prepared her for this. After losing power, watching trees fall onto her driveway, and finding her wood stove inadequate against the cold, she and her husband were rescued and taken to a warming shelter.

“I’ve been snowed in up there for almost three weeks without being able to get up and down my driveway because of the snow. I’m prepared for that. But this was unprecedented,” she said.

The forecast worsens

The National Weather Service warned Tuesday: “This could be the coldest temperature seen in several years for some places and the longest duration of cold in several decades.”

Nashville’s low Friday night is predicted to dip to 4 degrees Fahrenheit, while Oxford, in northern Mississippi, could hit 10 degrees. Parts of northern Florida were expected to sink to 25 degrees Fahrenheit late Tuesday into early Wednesday. Another winter storm could hit parts of the East Coast this weekend, with more record lows forecast as far south as Florida.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear warned that temperatures could become so frigid that “as little as 10 minutes outside could result in frostbite or hypothermia.”

Aviation recovers; emergency responses accelerate

The U.S. aviation system was returning to normal after a brutal weekend. More than 17,000 commercial flights were canceled over the weekend, with about 6,300 cancellations Monday and about 2,500 Tuesday, according to FlightAware, a flight tracking company. Less than 500 were anticipated to be canceled Wednesday.

Across the South, emergency responses were ramping up. Dozens of Mississippi counties reported urgent needs for bottled water, blankets, tarps, fuel and generators. Gov. Tate Reeves said the state’s National Guard was using aircraft to deliver supplies to hard-hit communities. Three 18-wheeler trucks stalled on an icy Interstate 55 in northern Mississippi, causing a major backup Tuesday night. State resources including first responders, drones and tow trucks were being deployed to clear the highway.

Warnings about heating dangers

Health officials issued urgent warnings about unsafe heating methods. Jean Kirkland, a Lexington, Mississippi resident without power since Sunday, was using a lighter and paper to ignite her gas stovetop.

“When you’re used to certain things, you miss them when they’re gone,” Kirkland said, managing without hot water or nighttime lights.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that gas-powered stoves can release carbon monoxide, increasing the risk of poisoning. At least one carbon monoxide death was reported in Louisiana. Kentucky officials echoed the warning as residents sought any available heat.

In North Carolina, Wake County’s largest public school system closed schools again Wednesday “due to the continued threat of black ice,” signaling that conditions were expected to remain treacherous for days to come.