New rain, ice hamper storm recovery effort

OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma (AP) -- Lights came back on for some lucky people Wednesday as utility crews struggled to repair power lines snapped by the ice storm that had blacked out as much as a million homes and businesses across the nation's midsection.

Repair crews and homeowners still faced a mixture of snow, sleet and light rain that fell across parts of north Texas and central Oklahoma during the morning.

"It will still be cold and nasty outside and may slow efforts to restore power and remove tree limbs and such," said Patrick Burke, a weather service meteorologist in Norman, Oklahoma.

Sunshine was possible in hard-hit Oklahoma during the afternoon and temperatures could reach the 40s Thursday, the weather service said. By late Friday, however, another storm could bring 2 to 4 inches of snow to parts of the region.

Ice up to 1½ inches thick has glazed much of the central Plains and Midwest this week. At least 27 deaths -- mostly traffic accidents -- have been blamed on the storm system since it developed last weekend. Watch the sights and sounds of massive ice storm »

Outside that affected area, forecasters said more snow, sleet and freezing rain could develop Wednesday across the northern Ohio Valley and into New England. See how dangerous winter precipitation forms »

About 468,000 homes and business still had no power Wednesday in Oklahoma, suffering its worst power outage on record. That was down from a peak of some 618,000 customers Tuesday, but utility officials said it could be a week to 10 days before power is fully restored.

"We're relying on people to look after each other," Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett said. "At the end of the day, this comes down to the strength of your people. ... People who have electricity ought to be sharing it with people who don't."

Elsewhere, around 208,000 customers were still blacked out in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Illinois and Nebraska. Some schools in southern Iowa canceled classes Wednesday for a second day.

Lesley Owczarski, owner of Big Apple Bagels in Ottumwa, Iowa, said the power was on at her shop Tuesday, but many of her customers weren't so lucky.

"Most of the places don't have power so a lot of people have been coming to the bagel shop," she said. "If they can come in and get warm and have a hot coffee and a latte, why not? I can understand it's boring sitting at home."

Most people decided to stay home and bundle up rather than go to shelters.

"We've got kerosene lamps and a fireplace," said Charita Miller of Oklahoma City. "We're OK. We can't watch TV. Oh well, you can't have everything. It's just me and my husband. My husband said `There's food in the freezer."'

Sonya Kendrick, who spent Monday night at one of several American Red Cross shelters set up in Oklahoma City, said a tree ripped the electrical box off the side of her house, and she needed a warm place for her three children.

"When I got in here yesterday, I was totally distraught. I was like 'Why me? Why me of all people?' I look at it this way, too: I'm not the only one," Kendrick said Tuesday. "There's other people here that I got to know in less than two days, literally. All of them have been through the same thing, and everybody here just understands everybody."

The weather also has caused extensive travel problems since the weekend. More than 550 flights were canceled Tuesday at Chicago's O'Hare Airport, and hundreds of other flights were delayed up to an hour by nighttime, said Chicago Department of Aviation spokesman Gregg Cunningham.

Officials in Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma had declared states of emergency. President Bush declared a federal emergency in Oklahoma on Tuesday, ordering government aid to supplement state and local efforts. See photos of the storm » E-mail to a friend

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