Eastern US Endures Prolonged Cold Snap Impacts

Emergency crews in Mississippi toiled overnight and into Wednesday morning to rescue stranded motorists from icy interstates, as a brutal cold snap gripped the eastern United States in what forecasters described as potentially the longest stretch of freezing temperatures in decades.

The effort focused on major routes like Interstate 55 in northern Mississippi, where officials deployed tow trucks and drones to untangle traffic jams caused by snow and ice. Crews continued their work as dawn broke, battling hazardous conditions to free hundreds of vehicles. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves highlighted the operation in a post on X, urging residents to avoid travel. "Pray for the first responders that are doing what Mississippians do: going above and beyond for their fellow man," Reeves wrote.

The crisis stemmed from a powerful weekend storm that dumped snow and ice across the Northeast and portions of the South, leaving roads treacherous and infrastructure strained. More than 380,000 homes and businesses, primarily in Mississippi and Tennessee, remained without power early Wednesday, according to outage tracking data. Restoration efforts lagged amid the subzero chill, exacerbating...