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Historic winter snow storm breaks records and causes deadly chaos in multiple US states

Southern parts of the United States have been hit hard by what has been called the “Gulf Blizzard of 2025”.

Southern parts of the United States have been hit hard by what has been called the “Gulf Blizzard of 2025”.
Evan GarciaREUTERS

We were warned this winter would be especially harsh across many parts of the United States, and so it has proved this week. In southern parts of the country, snow storms have set new records, caused havoc, and even death.

States of emergency in southern US states

After winter storm warnings had been issued on Tuesday evening, the governors of Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and even Florida all declared states of emergency.

In its most recent update, the National Weather Service Predication Center (NWSPC) reflected on “historic snowfall along the Gulf Coast from parts of Louisiana through the western Florida Panhandle” and warned of a “historic winter storm for the Deep South from parts of the eastern Florida Panhandle through the far eastern Carolinas until early on Wednesday”.

The NWSPC also warned there would be “significant impacts to travel,” “localised power outages” and “likely tree damage” in “areas of the heaviest icing” across Georgia, northern Florida and the far eastern Carolinas.

New Orleans and Houston hit hard by snow

So far, there has been up to 10 inches of snow across Louisiana, with most locations receiving between four and eight inches. According to WDSU News, New Orleans experienced its snowiest day in more than 100 years.

In Texas, Houston received its first significant snowfall since 1960, with three to four inches. Baytown, to the east of the city, was hardest hit with an estimated five and a half inches.

Winter storm causes deaths

Five people were killed in the south of the state as a result of a crash on an icy road, brining the total number of deaths during the storm to 10. Three others are reported to have died due to exposure to the cold.

State lawmakers in Florida cancelled legislative meetings in Tallahassee because of treacherous conditions on the roads. Schools have also been closed in he northern Floridian town, which is among the hardest hit in the state.

CBS' NEXT Weather Chief Meteorologist Ivan Cabrera put the severity of the storm into context: “This storm is unprecedented for its breadth and scope; we just don’t have anything we can compare it to. This will go down in history as the Gulf Blizzard of 2025.”

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