Authorities in 24 US states have declared a state of emergency due to a powerful cyclone that decimated the country with record-breaking snowfall and freezing temperatures. More than a million residents were left without power, and transportation along the entire East Coast was severely disrupted. Among the hardest-hit regions were Arkansas, Georgia, Texas, and the Carolinas.

On Sunday, airlines canceled over 10,000 flights, with another 930 delayed. The largest number of power outages were reported in the southern states of Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, where ice is downing power lines and knocking down trees.

Snowstorms have blanketed the area from the Ohio Valley to the northeast. Residents in northern Texas are complaining that streets have turned into skating rinks, making travel extremely difficult.

The National Weather Service warns that precipitation will continue into early next week, followed by a period of unusually cold weather with freezing rain and gusty winds. Repeated freezing will make roads and sidewalks dangerous for extended periods, complicating the work of emergency crews responding to the aftermath.