Stock Markets January 26, 2026

Winter Storm Leaves Over 847,000 Customers Without Power Across Large Swath of U.S.

Utilities report widespread outages from the Ohio Valley and mid-South to New England as restoration efforts continue overnight

By Priya Menon
Winter Storm Leaves Over 847,000 Customers Without Power Across Large Swath of U.S.

A potent winter storm dropped snow, sleet and freezing rain across large portions of the United States, leaving more than 847,000 homes and businesses without electricity late on Sunday. Utilities in the mid-South and beyond reported the largest losses of service, federal emergency disaster declarations were approved for multiple states, and crews continued restoration work through the night.

Key Points

  • A severe winter storm left more than 847,000 homes and businesses without power late on Sunday, down from more than 950,000 earlier as some service was restored.
  • Major utilities reported large outages: Nashville Electric Service had about 185,000 customers out of 463,455, and Entergy reported more than 145,000 of its 3.05 million customers without power; Duke Energy expected outages to increase, with North Carolina accounting for most of its outages.
  • Federal emergency disaster declarations were approved for a dozen states, mostly in the mid-South, enabling additional federal support for affected areas.

More than 847,000 homes and businesses remained without power late on Sunday after a severe winter storm pushed heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain across regions from the Ohio Valley and mid-South to New England. Some utilities were able to restore service during the day, decreasing the number of affected customers from more than 950,000 earlier.

The storm had a pronounced effect on several large distribution companies. Nashville Electric Service in Tennessee reported about 185,000 of its 463,455 customers were still without power. Entergy said more than 145,000 of its 3.05 million customers across the U.S. were without electricity, according to PowerOutage.us.

Describing the system-wide impact as "historic," U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday approved federal emergency disaster declarations for a dozen states, mostly in the mid-South. Nashville Electric Service posted on X that, "NES lineworkers will continue overnight and we will not stop until power is back on for all customers."

Duke Energy warned that outages were expected to climb steadily throughout Sunday evening. The company noted North Carolina accounted for most of its outages, according to PowerOutage.us.

The highest outage totals by state were reported as follows:

State Outages
Tennessee 258,004
Mississippi 157,573
Louisiana 123,156
Texas 65,003
Kentucky 48,942
South Carolina 47,587
North Carolina 36,289
Georgia 35,206
Total Out 847,102

Utilities continued to mobilize crews to restore service as conditions allowed. Where lines and infrastructure were damaged or iced, work proceeded overnight with the aim of returning power to affected customers as quickly as safety would permit. The federal emergency declarations cover a group of mostly mid-South states, enabling additional federal support for response and recovery operations.

As the event progressed, some utilities reported partial restorations during daytime hours, reducing the peak number of outages from more than 950,000 to the totals reported late on Sunday. Local conditions varied widely, with frozen precipitation and wind complicating travel and field restoration work in several areas.

Officials and utilities continued to monitor the situation and coordinate crews and resources. Outage maps and utility bulletins provided ongoing updates on the numbers of customers affected and restoration priorities.

Risks

  • Outages could increase further into Sunday evening - Duke Energy indicated the number of customer outages was expected to rise steadily, representing an ongoing operational risk for utilities.
  • Large numbers of customers without power strain restoration resources - utilities face the uncertainty of how quickly crews can return service in areas affected by heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain.
  • Adverse weather conditions may impede repair efforts overnight - the combination of frozen precipitation and nighttime conditions presents uncertainty for restoration timelines and crew safety.

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