NEW YORK, Jan 24, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Americans stripped supermarket shelves Friday ahead of potentially "catastrophic" winter weather that threatened at least 160 million people across the country with transportation chaos, blackouts and life-threatening cold. The massive storm system was set to drop a mix of freezing rain and heavy snow starting Friday evening on its days-long march across the continental US. State officials there vow the grid is in better shape than it was five years ago, when it failed during a deadly winter storm and left millions without power. The southern state's Republican Governor Greg Abbott told journalists the grid "has never been stronger, never been more prepared and is fully capable of handling this winter storm." New York's Zohran Mamdani was set to face his first major test as mayor -- the city famously makes early judgments of newly elected leaders based on winter storm response.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha January 24, 2026 14:42 UTC