US shivers as winter storm leaves 21 dead, millions without power
- Brutal cold engulfs vast swathes of the United States, spawning deadly tornadoes
- Some people died in traffic accidents, others from carbon monoxide poisoning
The storm that overwhelmed power grids and immobilised the Southern Plains carried heavy snow and freezing rain into New England and the Deep South and left behind painfully low temperatures. Wind-chill warnings extended from Canada into Mexico.
Biden on Tuesday vowed to provide additional emergency resources for those affected by the “historic storm” and thanked “road workers, highway patrol officers, and first responders who are taking swift action in horrific conditions to save lives”.
01:52
US winter storm leaves at least 21 dead and millions without power
The worst US power outages were in Texas, affecting more than 2 million homes and businesses. More than 250,000 people also lost power across parts of Appalachia, and another 200,000 were without electricity following an ice storm in northwest Oregon, according to poweroutage.us, which tracks utility outage reports. Four million people lost power in Mexico.