Newsinc24 Team 
In the United States, a sprawling winter storm continues to sweep across the country since Monday and frigid air, ice and snow are spreading through the central and southern states, leaving millions of people without power. Texas was bombarded by the worst winter onslaught it has seen in decades, with one of the largest snowfalls. President Joe Biden has approved a state of emergency in Texas where a surge in demand for electricity has led to widespread power cuts.
Officials in several states urged residents to stay home, avoiding highways and roads that had become treacherous as they were glazed by ice. The National Weather Service said more than 150 million Americans were now under winter storm warnings. Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama, Oregon and Oklahoma are among states affected. Law enforcement reported two men were found dead along Houston-area roadways. Officials said the subfreezing temperatures were likely to blame. The toll of the worsening conditions included the delivery of new COVID-19 vaccine shipments, which were expected to be delayed until at least midweek. Massive power outages across Houston included a facility storing 8,000 doses of Moderna vaccine, leaving health officials scrambling to find takers at the same time authorities were pleading for people to stay home.
The storm was part of a massive system that brought snow, sleet and freezing rain to the southern Plains and was spreading across the Ohio Valley and to the Northeast. State officials said surging demand, driven by people trying to keep their homes warm, and cold weather knocking some power stations offline had pushed Texas' system beyond the limits.
