Millions of Americans suffer in freezing temperatures

A winter storm claimed at least 20 lives, including three people who died when a tornado ripped through Brunswick County, N.C., and four others who perished in a Houston-area house fire while using a fireplace to stay warm. The weather system continues to batter several regions across the United States. It crippled a Southwestern power grid, roared through the Southern Plains, and brought snow and freezing rain from New England to the Deep South. A record-setting freeze continues to bear down on the middle of the country. The National Weather Service said the bad weather could persist in some states for at least another day or two.

How are things in Texas? The state reported several deaths related to the frigid weather and widespread power outages. By Tuesday, more than 4 million Texas homes and businesses had been affected. The Southwest Power Pool, which covers 14 states, imposed two-hour rolling blackouts to manage the demand. Parts of Appalachia also went dark, and thousands lost power in northwestern Oregon as trees coated in ice knocked down power lines. Outages have extended down into Mexico, as well.

Dig deeper: Follow the National Weather Service’s website for the latest updates.

Editor’s note: WORLD has updated this report since its initial posting.