The storm resulted in over 170 million Americans being placed under various winter weather alerts being issued by the National Weather Service in the United States across the country and caused blackouts for over 9.9 million people in the U.S. and Mexico, most notably the 2021 Texas power crisis. The blackouts were the largest in the U.S. since the Northeast blackout of 2003. The storm contributed to a severe cold wave that affected most of North America. The storm also brought severe destructive weather to Southeastern United States, including several tornadoes. On February 16, there were at least 20 direct fatalities and 13 indirect fatalities attributed to the storm; by April 30, the death toll had risen to at least 176, including 164 people in the United States and 12 people in Mexico. The system is estimated to have cost $20.4 billion in damages, making it the costliest winter storm on record. It is also the deadliest winter storm in North America since the 1993 Storm of the Century, which killed 318 people.