Lessons from Winter Storm Fern for this winter

Insurance Journal and BOE Report describe how Winter Storm Fern strained the power grid in January 2026.

What happened

A severe winter storm brought heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain from the Ohio Valley and mid-South to New England. More than 847,000 homes and businesses were without power late on Sunday, January 25, with Tennessee reporting 258,004 outages, Mississippi 157,573 and Louisiana 123,156. PJM declared a Level-1 emergency on January 27, requiring generators to run at maximum output. MISO declared an energy emergency alert 2 in its northern and central sections, citing low temperatures, forced outages and limited transfer capability.

What it means for your home

The storm shows that a winter outage can hit many homes at once, while grid operators are stretched at the same time. Cold-snap outages are a useful scenario to plan for.

What to do this week

• Pick one small room that can be kept warm, and gather sleeping bags and blankets there.
• Install a carbon monoxide alarm and test it.
• Never run a generator, grill or gas oven indoors.
• Charge power banks and keep a battery lantern ready.
• Talk through a 72-hour no-power plan with the family.

Use how to stay warm without power as your winter checklist.