A powerful winter storm sweeping across the United States has now been tied to at least 49 confirmed fatalities, as extreme cold, icy roads, and hazardous conditions affect communities from the Northeast to the Deep South.
Officials in multiple states say deaths have resulted from crashes, exposure to extreme cold, shoveling snow, and other weather-related dangers.
In New York, authorities report nine deaths tied to extreme cold and snow shoveling. Maine has documented six fatalities linked to deteriorated weather conditions, including a plane crash in the Bangor area. Tennessee has recorded five deaths related to cold and traffic accidents.
Pennsylvania reported three deaths from cardiac arrest while shoveling snow, while Louisiana also reported three fatalities attributed to extreme cold. Texas officials confirm three weather-related deaths, including a vehicle crash and a sledding accident tied to icy roads.
Smaller numbers of fatalities have been reported across several other states, including Iowa, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, and Virginia, where deaths were linked to vehicle crashes, extreme cold exposure, or weather-related accidents.
One fatality in Illinois involved a vehicle struck by a train, and several other states — Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, and Michigan — each reported at least one death connected to winter conditions.
Meteorologists say the storm system brought record-low temperatures and widespread travel hazards, prompting school closures, canceled flights, and emergency weather warnings in regions not accustomed to severe winter weather.
Public safety officials continue to urge people to stay off icy roads, limit outdoor exposure in sub-freezing temperatures, and check on vulnerable neighbors as cleanup and recovery efforts continue.
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