News

Messy Winter Storm Sweeps The South

by KATE BRUMBACK and CHRISTINA A. CASSIDY

02.12.14 | 7:52 am

Bernard Mansi walks along the Jackson Street bridge Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2014, against a rainy Atlanta skyline that yielded no wintry mix. In a dire warning Tuesday, forecasters said a "catastrophic" winter storm threat... Bernard Mansi walks along the Jackson Street bridge Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2014, against a rainy Atlanta skyline that yielded no wintry mix. In a dire warning Tuesday, forecasters said a "catastrophic" winter storm threatened to bring a thick layer of ice to Georgia and other parts of the South, causing widespread power outages that could leave people in the dark for days. (AP Photo/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, John Spink) MARIETTA DAILY OUT; GWINNETT DAILY POST OUT; LOCAL TV OUT; WXIA-TV OUT; WGCL-TV OUT MORE LESS

ATLANTA (AP) — Across the South, winter-weary residents are waking up to a region encased in ice, snow and freezing rain, with forecasters warning that the worst of the potentially “catastrophic” storm is yet to come.

From Texas to the Carolinas and the South’s business hub in Atlanta, roads are slick with ice, thousands are without power, and a wintry mix is falling in many areas. The Mid-Atlantic region also is expected to be hit as the storm crawls east.

Officials say the biggest concern is ice, which could knock out power for days in wide swaths.

In Atlanta, where a storm took the metro region by surprise and stranded thousands in vehicles just two weeks ago, emergency workers stand at the ready. Out-of-state utility vehicles are gathered, Georgia National Guard troops are on standby, and shelters are opening.

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KATE BRUMBACK

CHRISTINA A. CASSIDY