Winter Storm Fern Hits U.S.

Winter Storm Fern has claimed the lives of at least 80 individuals and caused power outages for over 300,000 homes and businesses across the United States. States are working quickly to restore their power grids.

Another winter storm is forecasted to impact southern states soon, with extremely cold temperatures expected around January 30, as reported by the Associated Press. The most severe outages have affected Tennessee and Mississippi, leaving around 100,000 customers in each state without electricity. According to data from poweroutage.us, the National Weather Service has predicted that arctic air will lower temperatures to around 10 degrees in the Southeast late on January 30, while many areas continue to struggle with power issues.

The National Weather Service tweeted that the eastern half of the continental U.S. would experience significantly colder temperatures this week, with new record low pressures likely in Florida as arctic air moves eastward from the Plains.

Meanwhile, the University of Mississippi has decided to keep its operations closed for a second consecutive week. While power has been restored and cleanup efforts are underway, schools are set to reopen on February 9. Mississippi’s Republican Governor Tate Reeves has deployed 500 National Guard troops to assist in clearing roads.

In Tennessee, Governor Bill Lee signed a presidential order on January 27, allowing the Tennessee Department of Transportation to expedite road clearing efforts. Nashville Electric Service announced that by January 29, nearly 1,000 linemen and 257 personnel focused on vegetation management would be on-site to assist.

Residents have shared their struggles, with one individual, CJ Bynum, recounting efforts to aid stranded motorists on Interstate 55 in northern Mississippi. “Nobody really expected this to happen or how bad it would be,” he noted.

Harriet Wallace, a Nashville Department of Social Services official, highlighted the efforts of law enforcement and firefighters conducting welfare checks on vulnerable seniors who couldn’t be reached by phone. She reported that all were found safe. Officers have been assisting in securing essential supplies and charging cellphones for those without power who chose to remain in their homes. “They find blankets and just sit there with no television, no electricity, nothing,” Wallace explained, adding that some individuals appeared a bit disoriented.