Approximately 200,000 Tennessee residents remain without power after a winter ice storm devastated parts of the United States.

Meteorologist Max Velocity described the scene as a “warzone,” with loud explosions echoing through neighborhoods as ice-laden trees and power lines continued to snap and fall.

“More than 200,000 people across Tennessee remain without power, many trapped in dangerously cold homes with no heat as temperatures drop. Emergency crews are overwhelmed, travel is nearly impossible in some areas, and restoration efforts could take days,” Velocity added.

Nashville Electric Service reported at least 76 broken power poles and more than 70 distribution circuits out by January 25th.

The utility company warned that homeowners must address damage to weatherheads, power masts, or meter bases themselves, as crews cannot safely reconnect power in such cases. Homeowners are responsible for equipment on their properties, and licensed electricians should be contacted for repairs.

A flash freeze event, described by the National Weather Service as the cause of the widespread disruption, occurred overnight around Nashville. The NWS explained that when snow, rain, and sleet mix with temperatures dropping into the single digits, it creates a dangerous condition where partial melting becomes solid ice quickly.

As of early Wednesday morning, power had been restored to approximately 60,000 customers. However, nearly 157,000 residents remain without power as of 4:20 p.m., according to Nashville Electric Service.

Crews have worked around the clock in extended shifts of up to 16 hours to address outages, but restoration is expected to take several days.

The storm also impacted Mississippi, leaving approximately 150,000 residents without power.