More than 1 million without power as winter storm batters the US
More than 1 million Americans are without power as a destructive storm of snow and ice continues to pummel parts of the United States. Twenty-three states have declared a state of emergency.
Tennessee has the most outages reported with more than 300,000 customers reporting issues.
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Icicles form on a mailbox on a neighborhood street as a winter storm moves through Nashville, Tenn,, Sunday, Jan,. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Holly Meyer) -
Splintered and downed trees on a neighborhood street as a winter storm moves through Nashville, Tenn,, Sunday, Jan,. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Holly Meyer) -
Icicles form on plants as a winter storm moves through Nashville, Tenn,, Sunday, Jan,. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Mae Anderson)
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear told residents to stay inside as they were going through the heart of the storm early Sunday. He also praised residents for staying off the roads Saturday night.
“People were prepared, and they stayed off the roads last night. That’s why we don’t have any reports of significant injuries or deaths related to the storm,” Beshear said. “So, to the people of Kentucky, thank you. You’re helping everybody out there do their very best in responding.”
Beshear also asked residents to take caution.
“Shoveling — it’s going to be really heavy with the ice, and we lost a number of people to heart attacks with the ice sandwich last January. We don’t want that to happen,” Beshear. “I know you’re probably not going to get out until at least tomorrow to shovel, but make sure you take it easy.”
In Rhode Island, Gov. Dan McKee declared a truck travel ban. This means tractor-trailers, tankers, special permitted vehicles, RVs, box trucks, vehicles with trailers and, tandems, except those responding to an emergency or carrying emergency supplies, are banned from traveling. Like Kentucky officials, he urged all residents to stay off the roads.
“We’re strongly urging Rhode Islanders to stay off the roads during the storm to allow the plows to do their job,” McKee said. “Our State Emergency Operations Center will be active and monitoring throughout the storm, our plow crews are geared up, and we’re asking Rhode Islanders to stay informed and stay safe.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul made the same decree a short time later. During a Sunday morning press conference, the governor also warned the worst is still to come.
“We are anticipating the longest cold stretch and the highest snow totals the state has seen in several years. The longest cold stretch and the highest snow totals in years. Already, records in the state have been shattered,” Hochul said.
Air travel has also been affected by the storm. FlightAware shows a little more than 15,000 cancellations and delays exceeding 20,000.
The National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center reports heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain will continue through Monday. It is expected to affect more than 220 million Americans.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
