Once-in-a-Century Snowstorm Sweeps Across the United States: Survival Challenges and Social Reflection Amid Extreme Weather

Starting from January 24, 2026, a superstorm known as the 50-year blizzard swept across 34 states in the United States, affecting approximately 230 million people, nearly 70% of the total U.S. population, making it the most widespread extreme weather event in recent times. This compound disaster, combining blizzards, extreme cold, and freezing rain, not only severely damaged infrastructure but also exposed deep-seated cracks in American society regarding disaster response, wealth disparity, and livelihood security. From the self-rescue efforts of ordinary citizens to the dire situations faced by vulnerable groups, it presented a panoramic view of survival under extreme weather conditions.

I. Disaster Situation: From Localized Predicament to Nationwide Crisis

The Dual Impact of Extreme Weather.

This storm is not merely a single snowfall disaster, but a dual assault of a bomb cyclone combined with an atmospheric river. In California and other areas, thousands of cars and houses were buried under 30 centimeters of snow. The perceived temperature in some regions plummeted to minus 45 to 50 degrees Celsius, with even -40℃ extreme cold breaking historical low records. More destructive is the chain reaction triggered by freezing rain: sleet caused ice accumulation on trees, drastically increasing their weight. Numerous branches were snapped and trees toppled. Some trees that remained intact in previous years suffered severe damage this year. Fallen trees blocked traffic, while constantly dropping branches made sounds similar to firecrackers, posing an ongoing threat to houses, vehicles, and pedestrians.

Drastic temperature fluctuations have exacerbated the impact of the disaster. In some areas, temperatures remained above 30 degrees Fahrenheit while residents were clearing roadblocks, but then rapidly dropped to 27 degrees Fahrenheit. By around 10 p.m., temperatures had plunged to 18 degrees Fahrenheit. The combination of extreme cold and snowfall worsened the situation. As of January 26, the storm has caused at least 30 deaths, with causes including car accidents, carbon monoxide poisoning, and snow-shoveling accidents, and the death toll continues to rise.

Complete collapse of infrastructure.

The collapse of power and network systems has become the most prominent livelihood pain point in the disaster. From a local perspective, some areas experienced a complete power outage starting from 3:30 AM on January 24. Only a few households relied on generators to meet basic needs, but generators have long been in short supply on the market, making it difficult for most people to purchase them. After 10:00 AM, network signals were completely cut off, with both 5G and WiFi losing connection entirely. It was not until nighttime, when WiFi was restored, that the outside world was able to learn about the local disaster situation.

From a national perspective, at the peak of the disaster, power outages affected over 1.07 million households, with outage rates exceeding 10% in southern regions such as Tennessee and Mississippi. Although the number of affected households later dropped to 985,000, power restoration efforts were hindered by heavy snow accumulation and high wind speeds, leaving some areas with no clear timeline for electricity recovery. The transportation system was also paralyzed. As of January 25, more than 10,900 flights across the United States were canceled, with 3,295 flights delayed. Cancellation rates reached nearly 100% at Washington Reagan National Airport and exceeded 90% at major hubs like New York and Philadelphia. On the ground, clearance of main roads progressed slowly, while non-major roads remained completely covered by snow, bringing daily commutes to a virtual standstill.

II. Social Response: The Dual Dilemma of Civil Self-Rescue and Official Governance

The Struggle Between Public Self-Rescue and Material Shortages.

Before the disaster struck, some prepared citizens stockpiled long-lasting supplies in advance, such as whole boxes of Luosifen, over 30 servings of mixed noodles, 32 packs of hotpot wide noodles, and other foods that can be stored for half a year, laying the foundation for staying at home to withstand the disaster. After the disaster occurred, spontaneous rescue forces emerged among the people. Some residents used chainsaws to clear fallen branches blocking the roads. Within just 10 minutes, four or five people joined in with three or four chainsaws, quickly clearing a path for passage. Subsequently, municipal bulldozers arrived to remove the branches, demonstrating the power of community mutual aid. At the same time, anticipating the risk of water outages, people widely stored water using various containers. In some areas, signs of reduced water flow have already appeared, making preemptive water storage an important self-rescue measure.

However, not all citizens were able to prepare adequately. Starting from January 25, large-scale panic buying occurred in the affected areas, with supermarket food, drinking water, canned goods, and other supplies being cleared out, exposing the vulnerability of the supply system during disasters. This shortage stemmed from two main factors: first, concerns among the public about the duration of the disaster, and second, difficulties in replenishing supplies due to logistics disruptions. In some remote areas, essential goods became extremely scarce, plunging low-income families into hunger and hardship.

Shortcomings and Controversies in the Official Response.

In the face of the disaster, 23 states in the United States have declared a state of emergency. The federal government has activated emergency response mechanisms, and the Red Cross has opened over 125 warming centers and shelters. Massachusetts has allocated 180 million dollars to provide reductions in electricity and gas bills, with low-income families eligible for subsidies through the Energy Assistance Program. However, these measures struggle to cover all needs, particularly due to evident shortcomings in resource coordination and execution efficiency.

The decentralized flaws in the U.S. disaster relief system have become evident, with difficulties in resource coordination among states and power systems operating independently. Regions like Texas, due to their independent power grids, were unable to receive support from other states after power outages. More controversially, the attitude of politicians has sparked public outrage: former President Trump joked about global warming, downplaying the severity of the disaster, while some politicians went on vacation during the crisis, fueling public dissatisfaction with officials' inaction. Although the National Weather Service issued life-threatening warnings in advance, the lack of a comprehensive safety net system prevented effective reduction of disaster losses.

III. Deep Interrogation: Social Structural Contradictions Under Extreme Weather

The Capital Dilemma of Aging Infrastructure.

The infrastructure vulnerabilities exposed by this disaster are essentially an imbalance between capital pursuit of profit and public interest. In the United States, 70% of transmission lines and power transformers have been in operation for over 25 years, with equipment operating at its limits. However, power companies are reluctant to invest in upgrades for low-probability extreme weather events, as such improvements would increase costs and weaken competitiveness. For instance, wind turbines in Texas lack de-icing devices, and gas-fired units are not designed for dual-fuel operation, directly leading to the collapse of the power generation system during severe cold weather.

Building facilities are also difficult to withstand severe cold. A large number of wooden houses and prefabricated houses in the United States have poor thermal insulation, and most rooms lack air conditioning and sufficient heating. In extreme cold temperatures of tens of degrees below zero, even households without power outages face heating challenges. Some people have even frozen to death at home due to insufficient insulation in their houses. This infrastructure construction model, which prioritizes profits over security, makes the United States highly vulnerable in the face of extreme weather.

The Survival Gap Amidst Wealth Disparity.

In the face of disasters, the wealth gap is dramatically magnified, with the underprivileged becoming the greatest victims. The United States currently has 770,000 homeless individuals, many concentrated in severely cold disaster areas such as New York and Chicago. Shelters are overcrowded and impose numerous restrictions—prohibiting pets, requiring identification, and turning away those with addictions—leaving many homeless people stranded outside, forced to sleep on the streets and face life-threatening conditions in the extreme cold. At least five homeless individuals have already died from the severe cold in New York City, and two more have succumbed to hypothermia in Louisiana. Speculation about the theft of homeless bodies further highlights the vulnerability and helplessness of marginalized lives during disasters.

In stark contrast to the lower strata, some affluent communities experienced no power outages throughout the entire event. The glaring disparity between the brightly lit luxury neighborhoods and the darkened low-income communities was striking. This gap is reflected not only in material reserves and living conditions but also in the allocation of rescue resources. The wealthy can access generators, food, and other supplies through private channels, while the poor are left to wait in long lines outside empty supermarkets, even facing the predicament of being unable to secure basic meals.

Reflections on Climate Response and Social Governance

This blizzard is not an isolated incident, but rather a microcosm of the frequent occurrence of extreme weather events against the backdrop of global climate change. As a developed country, the United States lacks a unified plan in climate response. Politicians use disasters as tools for ideological battles, with the Texas governor blaming clean energy, and conservatives and progressives pointing fingers at each other, delaying the response window. In contrast to free heating policies in places like Moscow, Russia, the underprivileged in the United States, despite holding American passports, struggle to obtain even basic survival guarantees, highlighting the inadequacies of its social welfare system.

More alarmingly, extreme weather may serve as a catalyst for social issues in the United States. The dire circumstances of the underprivileged have sparked questioning of the social system, while discussions linking stagnant population growth with extreme weather and failures in social governance reflect public dissatisfaction with the status quo. This once-in-50-years snowstorm not only tests the emergency response capabilities of the United States but also poses a profound challenge to its social system and value orientation.

As of January 26, although the storm is gradually moving away from the East Coast, low temperatures will persist for several more days, and the recovery of transportation, power, and water supply systems will still take time. This disaster has left not only property damage and casualties but also highlights the need for the United States to address deeper issues such as aging infrastructure, wealth inequality, and governance failures. Otherwise, similar dilemmas will recur in the face of increasingly frequent extreme weather in the future.