TL/DR –
Winter storms have resulted in at least 75 deaths across the United States over a period of a week and a half, with 30 of these deaths occurring in Tennessee mostly due to hypothermia and car accidents. Approximately 57 million people experienced winter weather alerts, with freezing rain impacting the Midwest and the South, and expected to continue across parts of the Midwest and the southern Great Lakes. Public schools in Nashville and Memphis remained closed due to icy road conditions.
US Winter Storms Claim Lives, Wreak Havoc
Winter storms have caused the deaths of at least 75 people across the United States over the past week and a half, according to official reports. Approximately 57 million Americans awoke to winter weather alerts on Monday, with freezing rain hitting the Midwest and the South, particularly affecting residents in eastern Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, and Arkansas.
The freezing rain is expected to persist across parts of the Midwest and the southern Great Lakes on Tuesday, with systems producing rain or snow prior to moving into Canada. The central Plains and Great Lakes regions are bracing for another round of freezing rain on Wednesday.
These severe winter weather conditions have resulted in at least 72 deaths directly attributable to rain, ice, and snow since January 12. Tennessee recorded the highest death toll with at least 30 fatalities, primarily due to hypothermia and vehicular accidents.
Nashville and Memphis public schools remained closed Monday, with officials urging Tennessee residents to avoid hazardous, ice-covered roads. Over the weekend, a pickup truck nearly plunged off a 200-foot cliff in Maury County. A local sheriff’s detective came upon the scene with the vehicle’s driver losing control and managed to secure help from fire rescuers.
Emergency responders were able to secure the truck and safely extract the driver from the unstable vehicle, as per authorities.
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