ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Millions of people are bracing for severe winter weather this weekend as a winter storm is approaching states stretching from Texas to New England.
Bay area energy companies are sending crews to the Carolinas ahead of expected outages due to snow and ice.
Duke Energy sent out 500 linemen and contractors from St. Petersburg early Friday. Meanwhile, Tampa Electric is sending nearly 200 people to help restore power in Georgia and other areas.
“(We) set up what we call a staging site,” said Spokesperson Aly Raschid. “That’s where the crews will be until after the storm passes, and then after the storm passes, and it’s safe to do so, they will go to the impacted areas and start restoration.”
The winter weather, expected to bring heavy snowfall, dangerous ice and frigid cold, also likely will impact air travel.
Anyone with a flight out of the Bay area this weekend should stay in touch with their airline for updates.
Trucks are rolling out from Florida and heading north to support our communities as Winter Storm Fern approaches. Crews will begin restoration as soon as conditions are safe. Stay safe, charge your devices, and review your emergency plans. pic.twitter.com/JFbFeS9UPF
— Duke Energy (@DukeEnergy) January 23, 2026