The United States is experiencing a critical Sunday under the impact of an arctic front that has already claimed lives and left much of the country in the dark. Authorities confirmed at noon the death of six people due to low temperatures, while emergency crews are working around the clock to restore basic services in freezing conditions, according to the Argentine News Agency.
In New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani reported that five people lost their lives over the weekend. While autopsies are awaited to confirm the exact causes, the mayor was firm in pointing out the population's vulnerability to this phenomenon. Meanwhile, authorities have set up heated shelters in gyms and community centers to prevent the death toll from rising further in the early morning hours.
"It is a powerful reminder of the danger of extreme cold for our most vulnerable neighbors, especially those who are homeless," declared the mayor.
Meanwhile, in the southern part of the country, the mayor of Austin (Texas), Kirk Watson, confirmed the first death in his jurisdiction. Watson urged the population not to let their guard down: "We still have a very, very cold weather ahead; it is vital to stay indoors even if we feel that the worst of the night is already over."
Energy Collapse in the South
The storm's impact on the electrical infrastructure is massive. According to the specialized portal Poweroutage.us, the number of homes without power has risen to 1,018,447 users nationwide.
Tennessee: 306,000 affected users (the epicenter of the outage). Mississippi: 175,000 homes without electricity. Louisiana: 145,000 users in the dark.
Electric companies warn that service restoration could take days in rural areas due to difficulties in traveling on frozen roads.
