Snowstorm in the US Causes Power Outages, Flight Cancellations

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A massive snowstorm hit the United States (US), causing thousands of flights to be canceled and causing massive power outages. On Saturday, January 24, 2026, thousands of flights across the US scheduled to take off over the weekend were canceled as a powerful storm began to hit much of the country. Power outages were widespread, and ice blocked major highways. Americans have also been stockpiling supplies at supermarkets since Friday.

According to NDTV, approximately 140 million people, or more than 40 percent of the US population, are under winter storm warnings from New Mexico to New England. The National Weather Service forecasts widespread heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain from Saturday through Monday, stretching from the southern Rocky Mountains to New England. Residents are being urged to prepare for a series of extremely cold days.

"TThe snow and the ice will be very, very slow to melt and won’t be going away anytime soon, and that’s going to hinder any recovery efforts," said Allison Santorelli, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has deployed essential supplies, staff, and search and rescue teams to several states, said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. "We just ask that everyone would be smart -- stay home if possible," Noem said.

President Donald Trump called the storms historic. On Saturday, January 24, 2026, Trump approved federal emergency disaster declarations for South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Indiana, and West Virginia. "We will continue to monitor, and stay in touch with all states in the path of this storm. Stay safe, and stay warm," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

According to ABC, the Department of Homeland Security said that seventeen states and the District of Columbia have declared weather emergencies. "We do have tens of thousands of people in affected states in the south that have lost power. We have utility crews that are working to restore that as quick as possible," Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Saturday afternoon.

The number of power outages continues to increase. As of 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time, more than 130,000 customers in the US were experiencing power outages, mostly in Texas and Louisiana, according to PowerOutage.com.

Read: Snow Storm Blankets New York City, Disrupting Holiday Travel

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