A historic winter storm continues to wreak havoc across the United States this week, leaving 217,000 residents without power and forcing the cancellation of more than 4,000 flights as of January 25, 2026. The crisis has prompted federal emergency declarations in 12 states from Texas to Virginia, with authorities warning of "crippling to locally catastrophic impacts" in southeastern regions.
Critical Infrastructure Strains
Power outages surged to 217,000 early Sunday morning EST, concentrated in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Tennessee. The Department of Energy activated emergency measures for Texas' grid operator to deploy backup generators at data centers and critical facilities. Dominion Energy warned its Virginia operations – home to the world's largest data center cluster – faces potential historic infrastructure challenges from ice accumulation.
Transportation Gridlock
U.S. airlines canceled over 13,400 flights through Monday, with Delta Air Lines relocating cold-weather specialists to southern airports for de-icing operations. JetBlue axed 1,000 flights through Monday morning, while United Airlines preemptively grounded aircraft in hardest-hit areas.
Federal Mobilization
President Donald Trump approved federal disaster relief for 12 states Saturday, stating: "We will continue to monitor all States in the storm's path." Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem urged residents to "stock up on fuel and food" as temperatures plummet to record lows across the Great Plains.
The National Weather Service predicts the storm system will maintain its grip through midweek, with meteorologists tracking dangerous wind chills expanding into northeastern states. Utility crews work around the clock as grid operators implement emergency protocols to prevent cascading blackouts.
