Powerful storms were threatening communities across the country with weather ranging from fire in the Southern High Plains to blizzards in the Midwest.

Residents of the Carrollton neighborhood in New Orleans are among the thousands of utility customers in the city who remain without power after Hurricane Francine passed through.

FILE - In this Feb. 11, 2018, file photo, float riders toss beads and trinkets during the Krewe of Thoth Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)NEW ORLEANS – The raucous Mardi Gras parades where riders on elaborate floats toss trinkets to adoring throngs have been canceled in New Orleans because the close-packed crowds could spread the novel coronavirus. At least for 2021, the pandemic has put an end to the New Orleans Mardi Gras season as it's long been celebrated, though Mayor LaToya Cantrell has asked the public for safe-celebration suggestions. The Carnival season and Mardi Gras are New Orleans' biggest tourist draw. The Rex Organization dubs its monarch king of Carnival, and its parade on Mardi Gras is one of the day's biggest draws.