As the situation worsened, President Donald Trump declared a federal state of emergency in 12 states, including South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Indiana, and West Virginia. He urged citizens to monitor their safety and keep warm.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security reports that the severe weather conditions have affected at least 17 states and the District of Columbia. The National Guard has been deployed in 12 states to assist in storm recovery efforts.
The National Weather Service described "Fern" as an "extraordinarily large and prolonged winter storm." Meteorologists are warning of possible severe icing in the southeastern U.S., which could result in "extremely destructive and in some places catastrophic consequences."
New York City Mayor Eric Adams reported that the city is expecting snowfall amounts of 20 to 23 cm, and freezing temperatures may persist until the end of January.
According to estimates from authorities and meteorologists, the storm's impacts could affect more than 220 million residents of the U.S. NBC News notes that many cities have not experienced this much snow in the past century.
