A powerful winter storm that deposited heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain across a broad swath of the United States left in its wake more than 400,000 customers without electricity, officials and outage trackers reported.
The outages spanned regions from the Ohio Valley and the mid-South to New England. Two of the hardest-hit utilities were Nashville Electric Service and Entergy. PowerOutage.us data showed that Nashville Electric Service (NES) had 109,156 of its 463,455 customers without power. Entergy had more than 104,000 of its 3.05 million U.S. customers affected.
NES described the ongoing restoration effort on social media, saying: "Both NES and contractor lineworkers from Florida, Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Mississippi, and Tennessee continue their work to restore electricity to those still without power after Winter Storm Fern took down half of all NES customers last Sunday."
Entergy provided an update on progress, stating: "All Entergy Arkansas and Texas customers who could safely receive power were restored yesterday. Restoration for affected Louisiana and Mississippi customers is well underway."
AccuWeather offered a preliminary estimate of the storm's financial toll, saying the event is set to become the costliest severe weather episode since the Los Angeles-area wildfires in early 2025, with estimated damage and economic losses ranging from $105 billion to $115 billion.
The following table lists the major outages by state as reported:
| State | Outages |
|---|---|
| Tennessee | 138,099 |
| Mississippi | 125,177 |
| Louisiana | 81,054 |
| Texas | 18,662 |
| Kentucky | 15,727 |
| Arkansas | 3,719 |
| Georgia | 3,616 |
| South Carolina | 3,429 |
| Total Out | 402,754 |
Utility crews and contractor lineworkers from several states are deployed to repair damage and restore service. Statements from the affected utilities indicate that restoration is proceeding where conditions allow, with Entergy noting full restoration for customers in Arkansas and Texas who could safely receive power.
The scale of disruptions and the preliminary economic loss estimates highlight both the immediate human impact of the storm and the broader economic consequences tied to large-scale weather events. Officials continue to assess conditions and work on restoring service to remaining customers.
Key Points
- More than 400,000 homes and businesses across multiple U.S. regions were reported without power following a winter storm that brought snow, sleet and freezing rain.
- Nashville Electric Service and Entergy were among the hardest-hit utilities, with NES reporting 109,156 customers and Entergy reporting over 104,000 customers without power.
- Preliminary damage and economic loss estimates for the storm are $105 billion to $115 billion, according to AccuWeather.
Risks and Uncertainties
- Ongoing weather and safety conditions could delay restoration efforts, affecting utilities, energy infrastructure and local economic activity.
- Preliminary economic loss estimates are subject to revision as assessments continue, creating uncertainty for insurers, municipal budgets and regional economic planning.