Record-breaking cold has enveloped the Southern United States. School systems from Illinois to Georgia have shut doors because of snow and ice. According to the BBC, temperatures in the South are currently between 20 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit lower than the February average.

In Atlanta, two people died as a result of the freezing temperatures, which reached 15°F the night of Wednesday, February 18. Cities as far south as Orlando, Florida, are forecasted to have freezing temperatures.

In Tennessee, an emergency has been announced with more than 30,000 people without power. Frigid temperatures are expected to continue until Friday, February 20.

Sophomore Brandon Ben-Hanania said, “I am amazed that they didn’t close school here. There was ice on the golf cart paths [February 18], and the temperatures were dangerously low for students traveling by golf cart.”