January 25, 2026
10:30 a.m. ET

Winter Storm Fern continues to track east across the United States, bringing freezing rain, heavy snowfall, and dangerous travel conditions. As of 10:30 a.m. ET, more than 800,000 electricity customers were without power as a result of Fern.*

More than 63,000 mutual assistance workers from at least 43 states are dedicated to the Fern response and restoration effort. Damage assessments and restoration work already are underway in areas where it is safe to do so.

The CEO-led Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council is engaged to ensure unity of effort at the highest levels of government and across all segments of the industry, including investor-owned electric companies, electric cooperatives, and public power utilities.

Customer and Crew Safety Comes First

Winter storms can present unique challenges to crews working to assess damage and restore power. Ice accumulation and thaw-and-freeze temperature cycles can cause new damage to trees and branches. Our thoughts are with those who were or are being impacted by Fern and with those who are in the storm’s path.

Customers affected by the winter storm are reminded to:

• Stay away from downed or sagging power lines and debris. Treat all fallen wires and anything touching them as though they are energized. Immediately report downed lines to your electric company.
• Remember that ice is heavy, and branches and trees can fall long after the storm has cleared.
• Follow all recommended precautions if using a personal generator. Never use a generator inside your home, garage, crawl space, other enclosed areas, or anywhere exhaust fumes can enter enclosed spaces.
• Be aware of scammers and remember that your electric company will never request upfront payment or a reconnection fee in return for restoring your service.

*It is important to remember that outages measure customer meters impacted, not the number of individuals without power. Due to the nature of the storm, customers may have experienced more than one outage.