Over a dozen people have been declared dead after this weekend’s major winter storm blanketed the country from the Midwest to the Northeast and closed schools, offices, and airports early this week.
As of Monday morning, at least 14 people died across multiple states. The death toll may rise.
At least five of those deaths were reported in New York City by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who did not confirm whether the cause of their deaths was weather-related.
“While we do not yet know their causes of death, there is no more powerful reminder of the danger of extreme cold and how vulnerable many of our neighbors are, especially homeless New Yorkers,” Mamdani said on Sunday, adding the five victims did not appear to be homeless.
A sixth person was pronounced dead on Sunday after police found him outside, Gothamist reported.
About 11 inches of snow fell in Central Park, marking New York City’s largest snowfall accumulation since 2022.
Deaths were also reported in Tennessee, Louisiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, and Texas.
In Frisco, Texas, a 16-year-old girl died in a sledding accident when the sled struck a curb and hit a tree. She and another girl were being pulled by a teenage boy driving a car. In Austin, a person died from suspected hypothermia after their body was found in the parking lot of an abandoned gas station.
Besides the death toll, power outages and flight cancellations abounded.
Over 800,000 customers remain without electricity on Monday morning, according to a live power outage tracker. Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas were the four hardest-hit states.
More than 11,000 flights were canceled on Sunday, impacting all flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and most flights at Philadelphia International Airport. The storm continued to be a cause of concern for airports, which canceled more than 3,000 flights so far Monday.
Reagan National Airport said its flights will “gradually return” as the day progresses. Meanwhile, Philadelphia International Airport told passengers to “expect delays and possible cancellations” on Monday.
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Additionally, many schools and offices were closed as roads remained treacherous early Monday. Government offices in the District of Columbia are closed.
While the worst of the snowstorm is over, freezing temperatures will continue to stick around the rest of the week. In Washington, D.C., the high on Monday will be just below 32 degrees before the low drops into single digits hours later.
