Update on 2026 Historic Winter Storm

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Please let me add my thanks for all of the people who have worked tirelessly -- including meteorologists -- to forecast and recover from the just-ended storm. News reports say 30 people have been killed. While that is a terrible tragedy to their friends and loved ones, storms of this nature used to kill as many as 500. Timely, accurate forecasts make a huge difference. 

Associated Press photo of ice storm damage in Nashville 
Consider how linemen from around the nation were pre-positioned to quickly restore power in the areas that have been devastated by the ice storm. Even with that head start, there are, nationally, still about 1,200,000 people without power. The worst-off states are below.
Northern Mississippi looks like a war zone. That is where the greatest amount of freezing rain fell. The extreme problems extend from there northeast to Nashville. Below is the current headline from the Nashville newspaper. Please note the comment about carbon monoxide.
The 230,000 = customers = about 550,000 people. Below are post-storm suggestions. 

Please follow me on Twitter/X  @usweatherexpert  for much more. 

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