Historic winter storm paralyzes US, 14,000 flights canceled

A severe and historic winter storm is paralyzing large parts of the United States, causing massive travel disruptions, widespread power outages, and prompting emergency declarations across 20 states.

Scale of the Disruption and Impacts

The storm, affecting the central, southern, and eastern US, has led to the cancellation of more than 14,000 flights over the weekend and into Monday. Approximately 800,000 residents are without electricity as icy conditions damage infrastructure. The US Department of Homeland Security has declared emergencies in 20 states, with the National Weather Service (NWS) warning of "crippling, locally catastrophic impacts" from heavy ice accumulation in the Southeast.

Record Cold and Political Commentary

Temperatures are plummeting to record lows, with wind chills expected to drop to -26 degrees Fahrenheit in Boston and as low as -46 in northern regions. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called it the coldest winter in eight years. On social media, former President Donald Trump shared the NWS's warnings, calling it a "record-setting cold wave and historic snowstorm." In a separate post, he provocatively asked, "What happened to Global Warming?"

Panic Buying and Infrastructure Strain

The forecast has triggered panic buying in southern states, with social media images showing supermarket shelves stripped bare of bread, milk, and other staples. The storm's sheer scale, affecting an estimated 200 million Americans, is testing the nation's infrastructure and emergency response capabilities during one of the most significant cold waves in recent years.