Winter Storm Fern

Overview

Winter Storm Fern struck the United States from January 23-27, 2026, bringing life-threatening conditions from the southern Plains to the eastern seaboard. Over 100 deaths were linked to the storm, with Mississippi among the hardest hit. More than 1 million customers lost power, with the heaviest outages in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana. FEMA approved 12 emergency declarations and major disaster declarations for Mississippi, Tennessee, and Louisiana. Airlines canceled over 20,000 flights. Insured losses were estimated at up to $6.7 billion. The Red Cross supported 125+ warming centers and shelters, deployed 1,500 disaster workers across 13+ states, and served over 264,000 meals. Direct Relief shipped 355 shipments of medical aid to 42 states and territories. Samaritan's Purse deployed disaster response units to Mississippi, Louisiana, and Tennessee. Team Rubicon activated its Emergency Operations Center and deployed volunteers to multiple states.