Tragic Blizzard Claims Lives: Four Found Dead in Missouri and Kansas Storm Chaos

Latest Update: January 06, 2025, at 12:28 PM ET

At least four individuals have passed away and many others have sustained injuries as a significant winter storm travels across multiple states from the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic, with authorities cautioning those in its trajectory to avoid traveling. Meteorologists are forecasting snowfall of up to one foot in certain locations.

There have been numerous calls for assistance on the highways and thousands of vehicles immobilized from Kansas to Virginia since Saturday, including a vehicle pileup in Illinois.

In Kansas, where blizzard alerts had been declared statewide over the weekend, at least three individuals have died in traffic incidents, as per the Kansas Highway Patrol.

In Missouri, at least one person has died and over 30 have been injured, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.  

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“Snow is still departing the state, but do not anticipate rapid improvement in conditions – if you experienced snowfall and ice accumulation yesterday, continue to AVOID TRAVELING today,” remarked the Missouri Department of Transportation in a social media update on Monday. “Our teams are still diligently working, but cleanup will take some time under these circumstances.”

Deanne Criswell, Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, also recommended that individuals facing winter storms “heed the advice of your local officials & refrain from traveling if you are experiencing heavy snowfall or ice in your vicinity.”

Winter storm alerts active

Closures and states of emergency have been declared throughout the Central Plains, Midwest, and East Coast regions of the United States as the snowstorm progresses through the area.

The National Weather Service has issued winter storm alerts for parts of Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C.

Forecasts predict up to 12 inches of snow may fall from Ohio to D.C. by Monday night. More than 300,000 customers were without electricity by noon ET Monday across Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri, according to Poweroutage.us.

Governors of several states impacted by the snowstorm — including Virginia, Maryland, and Kentucky — declared states of emergency starting early last week and extending through the past weekend.

Numerous county school systems in the affected states remain closed on Monday, along with cities such as Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Louisville.

Large-scale closures in D.C., electoral vote certification will proceed

In Washington, D.C., Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo are closed on Monday. Non-essential federal workers in D.C. will be working remotely on Monday as offices will be shut.

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Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department states the city has been preparing for the storm in anticipation of a number of high-security events — Congress’ certification of President-elect Donald Trump’s electoral victory on Monday and memorial services for former President Jimmy Carter.

“We’ve been monitoring the news and tracking the polar vortex as it has approached. So we’ve been adequately planning,” states Smith.

House Speaker Mike Johnson assures that the snow will not postpone the electoral vote certification.

“The Electoral Count Act mandates this on January sixth at 1 p.m. Regardless of the weather conditions, we will be in that chamber ensuring this is accomplished,” Johnson stated to Fox News, expressing his hope for full participation.

City resources will also be utilized to assist in clearing snow for members of Congress prior to the election certification, according to Mayor Muriel Bowser.

Growing travel disruptions

The winter storms are also impacting air travel throughout the U.S. Over 3,500 flights arriving or departing the U.S. experienced delays as of noon ET Monday, according to tracking site FlightAware. Moreover, more than 2,000 additional flights have been canceled.

Snow will also lead to delays at major airports, including those in New York, Washington, D.C., and Chicago, per the FAA.

Additionally, over 50 Amtrak trains operating from the Midwest to the Northeast have also been canceled on Monday. Two trains running between different areas of Virginia and Washington, D.C. were already canceled for Tuesday.

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