Photo: Getty Images
A once-in-a-lifetime winter storm has hit the South, setting new records in snowfall and leaving several people dead, CBS News reports.
As of Tuesday (January 21), four people were reported dead in connection to the winter storms that descended across, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, and other Southern states.
Much of the southeast region was put under winter weather advisories, and some areas were hit with blizzard warnings. New Orleans, which last saw snow in December 2004, had 10 inches on the ground as of Wednesday (January 22).
"I was born and raised in New Orleans," Ian Spooner told CBS News. "I can count on one hand how many times it snowed, and it never snowed like this."
Four to eight inches of snow fell across southern Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida's Panhandle, shattering long-standing snow records.
"This storm is unprecedented for its breadth and scope; we just don't have anything we can compare it to," meteorologist Ivan Cabrera said. "This will go down in history as the Gulf Blizzard of 2025."
At least 400 flights were delayed and 350 others were canceled as of midday Tuesday. Airports in Houston and New Orleans were completely shut down as snow built up at the entrances.
The Tallahassee International Airport announced that all flights were canceled after 3 p.m. and operations would be suspended until at least noon on Wednesday. Governors of Georgia and Louisiana declared a state of emergency for the hardest-hit areas.
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