At least six people have passed away after a brutal ice storm battered parts of the U.S., bringing along frigid temperatures and treacherous ice. In addition, the icy conditions have also grounded 1,800 flights, and more than 250,00 homes and businesses are without power.
On Wednesday, multiple states, from Texas to Tennessee, were hard-hit with hazardous winter conditions that have kept first responders working round the clock to respond to distressed calls.
Dangerous sheets of sleet and snow blanketed significant roadways, causing six people to lose their lives as they attempted to drive to their destinations. Off the roads, travelers were still affected by the barrage of storms. Airlines canceled thousands of flights causing chaos and mayhem at major airports in several southern states.
The deluge of deadly weather, now on its third day, has marred areas from Minnesota to Texas. Officials in multiple states have reported fatal car accidents. In addition, officials reported massive power outages in Austin, Texas, that could last between 12 to 24 hours.
“These weather-related outages are widespread. Ice is bringing down power lines and tree limbs,” wrote the city’s community-owned electric utility company via Twitter. “Crews are facing icy roads & frozen equipment making it difficult to provide estimated restoration times.”
In Minnesota, officials issued a wind chill advisory as wind chills dropped as low as 35 degrees below zero. In addition, state officials cautioned residents that ongoing weather could lead to frostbite in less than ten minutes.
Flights grounded, schools canceled as states endure widespread ice storm
At the Dallas-Forth Worth airport, airlines grounded 1,200 flights. At the time, the airport tweeted that “all traveling to DFW Airport should consider road conditions and allow extra time to travel to the airport. Please approach entry & departure plazas with extra caution.”
The massive flight cancellation also comes nearly one year after similar weather forced officials to cancel more than 2,000 flights at multiple Texas airports.
In Memphis, Tennessee, school officials canceled classes, and the police department issued its inclement weather crash policy. The policy permits officers to only respond to an accident if it meets specific benchmarks of severity. Additionally, the Memphis International Airport reported average delays of up to 45 minutes.
Despite the ongoing and treacherous winter weather, there is an end in sight. According to the National Weather Service in Memphis, the storm is waning.
“The third and FINAL round of freezing rain and/or sleet will start this afternoon. Temps should rise above freezing tomorrow mid morning & precip will change back over to rain,” wrote the agency in a recent tweet.