This was some of the severe weather warnings for USA on the 31/01/09
http://www.weather.gov/view/national.php?prod=ALLBut below is an article by Kristan Hall, relating the severe weather in USA.
The Article is called Thousands shelter after US ice storms
Utility crews have made progress in restoring power to a million homes and businesses after an ice storm that crippled states from Missouri to West Virginia.
But thousands are still holed up in makeshift shelters because their homes have no water or heat.
Since the storm began on Monday, the weather has been blamed for at least 42 deaths.
Emergency officials fear that toll could rise if people stay in their homes without power for too long, because improper use of generators can cause carbon monoxide poisoning.
Utility companies struggled through ice-encrusted debris into Friday morning as they worked to restore power, but warned it may not return until Saturday at the earliest.
It could take until mid-February for some to come back online in the hardest-hit areas of Kentucky and Arkansas.
"I know everybody, including myself, would like this to be over today, tomorrow or yesterday," said Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear, who toured some of the affected areas on Thursday.
"It's going to take several days, if not weeks, to dig our way through all of this all across the state."
Deputies trekked door-to-door in many communities to let people know the location of shelters, forced to spread the word the old-fashioned way because mobile phone and internet service was spotty.
In some towns, volunteers checked to make sure their elderly and disabled neighbours were all right.
Many Kentucky hotels offering discounted "power outage rates" reported being fully booked with people escaping frosty neighbourhoods.
Those who hunkered down in their homes faced long lines to buy generators, firewood, groceries - even bottled water because power outages crippled local pumping stations.
Roads were still littered with ice-caked power lines, downed trees and other debris. Help from around the country was arriving in convoys to assist the states with the worst outages.
Truckloads of ready-to-eat meals, water and generators from the Federal Emergency Management Agency were expected to arrive on Friday at a staging area in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, said Mary Hudak, a spokeswoman for FEMA's southeast region.
