"Staying Home Is the Only Way to Survive": Massive Snowstorm Leaves 700,000 Households Without Power and Grounds Flights

Trump Declares Federal Emergency in 12 States
Homeland Security Secretary Urges, "Stay Off the Roads"

Reuters Yonhap News

A powerful snowstorm has hit the United States, causing widespread power outages and flight cancellations. The snowstorm is expected to continue through January 26.

According to foreign media outlets such as the Washington Post on January 25 (local time), more than 700,000 households in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, and Tennessee experienced power outages as of that morning. The southern regions, which were affected by the snowstorm the previous day, suffered the most severe outages.

On this day alone, more than 10,000 flights were canceled. Including the previous day, over 14,000 flights were canceled over the weekend. The flight cancellations were concentrated at airports in the eastern regions, including Philadelphia, New York, New Jersey, Washington D.C., and North Carolina.

The National Weather Service (NWS) announced that 30 to 60 centimeters of snow are expected in the northeastern United States, including New York and Boston. Even after the storm passes, severe cold is forecast to continue from the southern to the northeastern regions.

President Donald Trump described the snowstorm as a "historic winter storm" and approved a federal emergency declaration for 12 states: South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Indiana, and West Virginia.

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem urged at a press conference the previous day, "The most important thing residents across the country can do is please stay off the roads," asking people to remain at home unless travel is absolutely necessary.

At the state level, at least 22 states and the capital, Washington D.C., have declared a state of emergency so far.