AT least 10 people are dead as a brutal arctic storm grips much of the nation, blanketing parts of the Gulf Coast region in several inches of snow.

A once-in-a-generation winter storm sent temperatures plummeting across the south, an area known for its warm climate and unaccustomed to snowy conditions. Unprecedented photographs show residents in the Gulf Coast stepping out of their homes to witness the rare winter blast that covered their neighborhoods in several inches of snow.

Photos showed beaches in Alabama, and parts of North Florida blanketed in fresh layers of snow.

Meanwhile, people in New Orleans bundled up in winter attire, donning jackets, scarves, gloves and boots, leaving footprints behind on snow-covered streets in the French Quarter.

But despite the joyous photos of surreal wintry scenes, the powerful storm has wreaked havoc in the South, leaving at least 10 dead and over 130,000 homes and businesses in five states without power. In South Texas, three people died from exposure to the bitter cold, while five others were killed in a car accident caused by icy road conditions, Uvalde County Constable Emmanuel Zamora said.

In Alabama, a 27-year-old woman was killed after she lost control of her vehicle on a snow-covered road in Ozark in Dale County, about 86 miles south of Montgomery.

And in Pinckard, also in Dale County, where temperatures dipped into the low teens, a 37-year-old man was killed when his home went up in flames after he left his stove on trying to stay warm, the coroner’s office said.

In Georgia, where much of the state experienced several inches of snowfall, officials in Dekalb County urged declared a state of emergency early Wednesday, urging residents to shelter in place due to the extreme cold. Dekalb County officials said the frigid conditions, which saw temperatures drop to below 14 degrees Fahrenheit, have rendered their efforts “ineffective.”

“County road crews have worked tirelessly throughout the night, applying over 500 tons of salt, sand, and calcium chloride to treat roads,” the county’s Department of Communications said.

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