Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Winter Storm Fern Kills Dozens, Leaves Massive Outages as $100B-Plus Loss Estimate Faces Doubts

Analysts label AccuWeather’s $105–$115 billion estimate preliminary, with potential overstatement.

Power lines and shrubs are covered in ice during a winter storm Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
DC Water crews work around snow piles to repair a water main break, Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert)
Clouds cover the top of One World Trade, top center, as ice crowds the Hudson River in New York, Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Snow and ice is cleared at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Monday morning, Jan. 26, 2026, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Overview

  • At least 28 to 30 deaths were reported across multiple states, including exposure cases in New York City and accidents in the South and Midwest.
  • Hundreds of thousands remained without power Monday, with reports ranging from roughly 560,000 to nearly 700,000 customers, especially in Mississippi, Tennessee and Louisiana after ice felled trees and lines.
  • Air travel suffered more than 11,000 cancellations Sunday and thousands more Monday, marking the worst day since the pandemic, with officials aiming to normalize airport operations by midweek.
  • AccuWeather projected total economic losses of $105–$115 billion, a figure economists interviewed by the Associated Press criticized as early and likely higher than insurable damage tallies.
  • Persistent Arctic cold is extending recovery timelines and increasing risks in less-winterized Southern regions where burst pipes, roof failures and infrastructure strain are driving costly disruptions.