The U.S. is experiencing a severe winter storm, causing residents to rush to stockpile food and fuel. Supermarket shelves across several states are bare, and airlines have canceled numerous flights, making Sunday the day with the most cancellations this year.
On 23 Jan 2026 GMT+7, U.S. media reported that residents in many states are stockpiling food and essentials after the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) warned of the arrival of a severe and prolonged winter storm expected to bring heavy snow, freezing rain, subzero temperatures, and sustained strong winds through Sunday.
News reports showed images from the Walmart Supercenter in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, where shelves were nearly empty of meat, dairy products, drinking water, cereals, frozen foods, and fruits and vegetables as people rushed to prepare for the storm. Meanwhile, Pennsylvania and nearby areas faced dangerously cold weather, leading to long lines outside supermarkets and gas stations as residents bought supplies and fuel ahead of the winter storm's arrival.
Air travel was heavily impacted. Flight tracking website FlightAware reported that more than 4,200 flights scheduled for Sunday had already been canceled, with cancellations continuing to rise, especially in the last hours when over 1,000 additional flights were called off.
Furthermore, over 2,900 flights were canceled on Saturday, making Sunday the day with the highest flight cancellations this year, surpassing the previous record of over 1,900 cancellations on 9 Nov during the U.S. government shutdown crisis.
Authorities have warned the public to avoid unnecessary travel and to prepare for severe weather conditions that could cause widespread damage.
Source: CNN