Storm "Vern": 21 Dead in America and Power Outages Affecting Over 800,000 Homes

SadaNews - The severe cold wave continues to sweep across much of the United States on Tuesday due to the snowstorm "Vern," which has been described as one of the worst in recent decades, resulting so far in the deaths of at least 21 people, in addition to power outages affecting more than 800,000 homes.

Wide areas, particularly around the Great Lakes in the northern part of the country, recorded a sharp drop in temperatures, plummeting to below -20 degrees Celsius, and in parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin, temperatures fell below -30 degrees Celsius, according to the National Weather Service.

The agency warned of a worsening freeze in the coming days with a surge of polar air, especially in the central United States, where the wind chill could reach about -45 degrees Celsius.

Heavy snowfall, exceeding 30 centimeters in about 20 states, has caused significant damage to power networks.

The specialized site "PowerOutage" reported that more than 820,000 customers were without electricity on Tuesday morning, particularly in the southern states, after power transmission lines fell due to ice.

Power outages affected about 250,000 people in Tennessee and more than 150,000 in Mississippi, amid warnings that the crisis could continue for several days.

French news agency AFP quoted meteorologist Allison Santorelli as saying that power outages could be prolonged, given the difficulties authorities face in clearing snow and repairing damages, particularly in areas unaccustomed to such harsh conditions.

In the death toll, several states reported fatalities due to accidents and extreme cold, including Texas, Louisiana, Iowa, and New York, where the city mayor confirmed finding several individuals deceased in the open, warning of the severe cold's dangers to vulnerable groups, especially the homeless.

A state of emergency has been declared in about 20 states in addition to the capital, Washington, as air and ground transport has been paralyzed, with over 19,000 flights canceled since the beginning of the week and thousands more delayed, according to the "FlightAware" website.

Politically, U.S. President Donald Trump commented on the storm again expressing skepticism about climate change, questioning via the "Truth Social" platform about the fate of "global warming" amid the current cold snap.

The storm "Vern" is linked to the extension of what is known as the "polar vortex" to the south, a very cold air mass that typically centers over the Arctic. Scientists believe that the increasing frequency of such disturbances may be related to climate change, despite ongoing scientific debate about the extent of this connection.