Winter Storm Fern Leaves Dozens Dead And 800K Without Power
At least 29 people have died after a winter storm tore through the U.S. late last week into the weekend, and hundreds of thousands remain without power as states deal with dangerously low temperatures, snow, and ice.
Winter Storm Fern swept across huge swaths of the country, leaving dozens dead in five states including Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Tennessee, and Texas, according to NBC News.
Five people were also found dead in New York City on Saturday, January 24, though officials are still investigating whether winter conditions caused their deaths.
"It is still too early to say what the cause of death was for any of the five of them," New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said at a news conference Sunday. "And it seems at this moment that we do not think any of them were homeless."
"We mourn the loss of any and every New Yorker," he continued, "and we are keeping those five New Yorkers in our thoughts, as well as their friends and their family."
The Power Grid Took a Beating
Millions of Americans have been under weather advisories, from the Central and Southern Plains to the Northeast. Approximately 830,000 homes and businesses lost power after ice brought down power lines.
Schools were closed on Monday, January 26, and some transportation lines in major cities struggled to get back up and running. A large number of flights were also affected, with 12,000 canceled on Sunday and more than 3,500 cancellations anticipated on Monday, NBC reported.
It's Not Over Yet
As the storm's impact fades for some, the Northeast will continue getting heavy snow through Monday night, according to the National Weather Service.
"Extremely cold air behind the storm will prolong dangerous travel and infrastructure impacts," the agency warned. "Sub-zero low temperatures are expected nearly every morning from the Northern Plains through the Ohio Valley and into the Northeast."
Meanwhile, a front will bring lake-effect snow to the Great Lakes region through Tuesday, January 27.
Kansas Teacher Found Dead
In Kansas, an elementary school is mourning a beloved teacher, 28-year-old Rebecca Rauber, who was found dead on Sunday.
She went missing after leaving a bar in Emporia, Kansas, late Friday night, the Emporia Police Department said. Her body was found covered in snow in a wooded area nearby two days later. Officials suspect she succumbed to hypothermia.
Winter storms don't discriminate. They knock out power, shut down cities, and in the worst cases, they kill. This one's leaving a trail of damage and death across multiple states, and for some regions, it's not done yet.
This is a heavy reminder that it is better to overprepare for these types of storms than to downplay their fury.
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