The snowstorm currently lashing the Gulf Coast is being described as a once in a generation weather event, the National Weather Service said Monday.

Around 40 million people in the U.S. are under a winter storm warning from an unusual blast of severe winter weather.

On Tuesday, a snowstorm swept through unexpected parts of the southern United States, including Texas, Louisiana, and Florida, shattering snowfall records across the south and delivering an unprecedented and disruptive winter experience to millions of residents.