Kansas Teacher Rebecca Rauber, 28, found dead in snow

EMPORIA, Kan. — Authorities and community members are grieving the loss of Rebecca Rauber, a 28-year-old elementary school teacher found dead Sunday after going missing during a powerful winter storm that has battered much of the United States.

Rauber, a second-grade teacher at Riverside Elementary School in Emporia, was reported missing early Saturday after leaving a downtown bar late Friday night without her jacket, phone or purse as temperatures plunged into the single digits. Surveillance footage captured her walking alone shortly before midnight amid rapidly worsening conditions from Winter Storm Fern.

Two days later, police located her body in a wooded area about 300 yards from her last known location. She was found covered in snow, and early indications suggest she succumbed to hypothermia during the extreme cold and heavy snowfall.

The storm, which has caused widespread travel disruption, power outages and hazardous conditions across dozens of states, has been linked to numerous deaths nationwide. Forecasters warn that freezing temperatures and wintry weather may persist as further systems approach.

Emporia Public Schools described Rauber as a valued member of the school community whose positive impact on students and colleagues will be deeply missed. Support services and counselors have been made available as the district and her family cope with the tragedy