A catastrophic weather event has slammed into the United States, with "Winter Storm Fern" placing a staggering 140 million Americans under severe weather warnings. From Texas to New England, the storm is wreaking havoc, grounding 11,000 flights and plunging millions into darkness.

President Donald Trump has approved emergency declarations for South Carolina and Virginia as the system dumps heavy snow and "catastrophic ice" across the South. The sheer scale of the storm is testing the nation's infrastructure, with power grids in Texas again teetering on the brink of collapse, reviving traumatic memories of the 2021 grid failure.

"Panic at the Pumps"

As the storm intensified, panic buying stripped grocery shelves bare. "It looks like the start of the pandemic all over again," reported a resident in Atlanta. "No bread, no milk, just fear."

The National Weather Service has warned of "crippling ice accumulations" that could snap power lines like twigs. In response, states have mobilized the National Guard, but for many, help cannot come soon enough.

• The Economic Hit: With major hubs like JFK, Atlanta, and Dallas effectively shut down, the economic toll is expected to run into the billions.
• The Climate Link: Experts point to the storm's intensity as further evidence of climate breakdown, with extreme polar vortex disruptions becoming the new normal.

A Long Cold Night

As night falls over a frozen America, the focus shifts from travel to survival. With temperatures plunging to sub-zero levels, the resilience of the world's superpower is being tested by the raw power of nature.