WeatherFanatics: LIVE: Ice Storm Cuts Power to Nearly One Third of a Million in South

February 12,2014; 5:48PM,EST

A snow and ice event is underway across the Deep South, threatening travel nightmares and widespread power outages.
Flight cancellations surpassed 1,600 on Tuesday, with more than half of the cancellations coming to or from Atlanta. Hundreds more were canceled into and out of Charlotte and Dallas.
Cancellations for Wednesday have topped 4,000, with nearly 2,600 of those out of the Atlanta hub, which is the world's busiest airport. Charlotte International has also had more than 1,000 cancellations. Residual delays at airports in better weather will also climb as needed aircraft will be unable to arrive at their destinations.
More than 2,000 flights have already been canceled for Thursday.
The governors of Alabama and Georgia declared states of emergency on Monday night in preparation of the storm. Governors in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Maryland also declared states of emergency on Tuesday.
At least five people, including four in northern Texas, died in weather-related traffic crashes since Monday night, the Associated Press reported.
One of those deaths occurred at an crash scene when Dallas Fire-Rescue firefighter William "Scott" Tanksley was struck by a vehicle and fell 50 feet off a bridge, KDFW-TV, Fox 4 in Dallas, reported.
"The members of Dallas Fire-Rescue (DFR) are working through the sudden loss of our brother William "Scott" Tanksley," the department said in a news release. "Scott was a husband, father, brother and son to his biological family, and we are embracing them and meeting their immediate needs as we move through this sudden and unexpected loss."
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"A number of communities over the interior South may have more significant, longer-lasting ice and snow when compared to the storm from late January," AccuWeather.com Southern Weather Expert Meteorologist Dan Kottlowski said.

All reports listed in EST

6:50 p.m. EST Wednesday: Watch the latest edition of AccuWeather LIVE for our most recent storm updates:
6:25 p.m. EST Wednesday: South of Roanoke, Va., in Franklin County, a trained spotter reports 4.0 inches of snow.
5:30 p.m. EST Wednesday: Traffic is at a standstill near Raleigh, N.C., along I-540 and Honeycutt Road, as commuters try to make it home in the snow:

4:45 p.m. EST Wednesday: Nationwide cancelations reach nearly 4,000, according to FlightStats. More than 2,000 flights for Thursday have already been cancelled.
4:20 p.m. EST Wednesday: Power outages continue to climb in the South with 95,791 for SC&G, 114,474 for Duke Energy and 129,325 for Georgia Power.
3:55 p.m. EST Wednesday: A 911 call center in Clinton, N.C., reported 4.5 inches of snow in the area.
2:50 p.m. EST Wednesday: An NWS employee reports more than half an inch of freezing rain in New Hanover County, N.C. This photo was snapped in Wilmington:

(Photo/Duke Energy Storm)
2:30 p.m. EST Wednesday:The latest power outages list 96,750 for SC&G, 133,000 for Georgia Power and 98,600 for Duke Energy.
2:00 p.m. EST Wednesday: Roads are snow-covered and extremely treacherous around Charlotte, N.C. Travel is slowed in the slippery conditions along I-85 as shown in the Graham Street North Carolina Department of Transportation webcam below:

1:45 p.m. EST Wednesday: Rachel Joyce (Twitter user @r_joyce8) snapped this shot of trees downed due to the weight of snow and sleet in Aiken, S.C.:

1:10 p.m. EST Wednesday: The heaviest icing from the storm so far is stretching from Atlanta to Columbia and Florence, S.C., while heavy sleet and snow fall just to the north.
Here's a sampling of ice accumulations so far, according to NWS spotters: 0.50-0.75 of an inch of ice near Millen, Ga.; 0.50 of an inch of ice near Ladson, S.C.
Irmo, S.C., located in Richland County, has received 4.00 inches of sleet from the storm, according to an NWS employee.
12:55 p.m. EST Wednesday: Power outages continue to rise. Between Georgia Power and SCE&G, outage totals are near 200,000.
12:20 p.m. EST Wednesday: FlightStats reports that flight cancellations have surpassed 3,500. Excessive delays listed at Atlanta, Charlotte and Raleigh airports.
11:50 a.m. EST Wednesday: Watch the latest edition of AccuWeather LIVE for our most recent storm updates:
11:35 a.m. EST Wednesday: Traffic is slowed in the Charlotte area as snow begins falling:

(Image/NCDOT)
11:20 a.m. EST Wednesday: Amtrak is suspending services from New York City through the Carolinas on south.
11:00 a.m. EST Wednesday: The number of power outages continues to climb as the worst of the icing hits today. Georgia Power is reporting more than 106,300 outages and SCE&G is reporting more than 38,800 outages.
10:35 a.m. EST Wednesday: NWS office in Lexington County, S.C., reports an inch of sleet. This Instagram video taken at the Windward Point Yacht Club captures snow and sleet pouring down in neighboring Richland County:
10:25 a.m. EST Wednesday: Power outages reach 88,800 in Georgia, 32,900 in South Carolina.
10:15 a.m. EST Wednesday: Heavy ice accumulations build up in Myrtle Beach, S.C.:

(Instagram/mtrudeauphoto)
9:40 a.m. EST Wednesday: Accidents mount in Tennessee:
9:30 a.m. EST Wednesday: The latest power outages numbers include more than 65,500 for Georgia and 18,500 for South Carolina.
9:10 a.m. EST Wednesday: Power outages in South Carolina now affect more than 17,000.
8:20 a.m. EST Wednesday: NWS employee in Lexington County, S.C., reports half an inch of ice buildup on trees.
8:00 a.m. EST Wednesday: See the latest storm updates in the newest edition of AccuWeather LIVE:
7:30 a.m. EST Wednesday: Georgia power outages now top 20,000, with more than 3,000 in South Carolina.
7:10 a.m. EST Wednesday: More than 10,000 Georgia Power customers without electricity this morning.
6:40 a.m. EST Wednesday: Road crews continue maintenance efforts in Georgia; multiple accidents listed around the Atlanta area, including portions of I-85 and I-285.
6:10 a.m. EST Wednesday: Mississippi Department of Transportation listing statewide road advisories for the icy conditions building up on roadways and bridges:

5:50 a.m. EST Wednesday: Thousands are without electricity to start the day in Georgia, according to Georgia Power. That number is likely to rise as more customers wake this morning and report any outages they may be experiencing.
5:20 a.m. EST Wednesday: FlightStats reports more than 2,000 cancelled flights out of the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to start the day.
4:10 a.m. EST Wednesday: Law enforcement reports that rain was beginning to freeze on highways around Saint Stephen, S.C., and has led to minor traffic accidents in the area.
3:42 a.m. EST Wednesday: Sleet and freezing rain continue to create travel difficulties across northern Louisiana.

The above image is a traffic camera showing I-20 in Monroe, La.
2:02 a.m. EST Wednesday: Emergency Managers in Georgia are reporting freezing rain all across Cherokee County, just north of Atlanta. Roads are starting to become glazed over.
12:23 a.m. EST Wednesday: Amtrak has announced that they will suspend some services from New York and south of Washington, D.C., on Wednesday due to winter weather. Some services will also be suspended in Georgia, Florida and the Carolinas.

All reports listed below are from Tuesday.

11:48 p.m. EST Tuesday: More than 6,600 Entergy customers are without power in Louisiana, the utility reports.
10:38 p.m. EST Tuesday: Law enforcement reports 1 inch of snow and sleet accumulation in Eudora, Ark., most of which consisting of sleet.
9:40 p.m. EST Tuesday: At least five people, including four in northern Texas, died in weather-related traffic crashes, The Associated Press reported. One of those deaths occurred at a previous crash scene when Dallas Fire-Rescue firefighter William "Scott" Tanksley was struck by a vehicle Monday night and fell 50 feet off a bridge at I-20 and Spur 408 in southwest Dallas, KDFW-TV, Fox 4 in Dallas, reported.
9:05 p.m. EST Tuesday: More than 1,600 flights were canceled, and another 3,700 were delayed due to the winter storm, according to FlightStats.
8:50 p.m. EST Tuesday: 937 Southwestern Electric Power Co. customers, 575 Entergy Louisiana and Entergy Gulf States Louisiana customers and 493 Cleco Power customers were without power in Louisiana, the utilities reported.
8:30 p.m. EST Tuesday: 9,200 Duke Energy Progress customers in North and South Carolina were without power, the utility said.
8:25 p.m. EST Tuesday: A quarter-inch of freezing rain fell at Bradley, Ark., emergency manager reported.
7:55 p.m. EST Tuesday: Hurricane Hunters have flown a mission surveying the atmosphere in the Gulf of Mexico to get more data on the developing winter storm.
7:40 p.m. EST Tuesday: AccuWeather meteorologists are concerned that icing in parts of Louisiana and Mississippi will cause some roads to be nearly impassable and may also lead to some power outages.

7:00 p.m. EST Tuesday: Tune into the latest edition of "AccuWeather LIVE" for the most current storm information.
6:10 p.m. EST Tuesday: About 1,200 Entergy Arkansas customers were without power, the utility reported.
5:45 p.m. EST Tuesday: Nine inches of snow reported at Pamlico County, N.C.
5:35 p.m. EST Tuesday: Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley declares a state of emergency. The declaration includes calling up the Maryland National Guard as needed.
5:15 p.m. EST Tuesday: About 5,725 North and South Carolina electric customers are without service, Duke Energy Progress reported.
4:45 p.m. EST Tuesday: An NWS spotter reported, 0.20 of an inch of freezing rain at Green Sea, S.C.
4:20 p.m. EST Tuesday: At Swan Quarter, N.C., 5.5 inches of snow has fallen, an emergency manager reported.
3:45 p.m. EST Tuesday: Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency.
"Now is the time for Virginia to get ready for this storm," McAuliffe said in a news release. "This state of emergency declaration will empower the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, the Department of Transportation, the Virginia National Guard and our electric and cable utilities to prepare for a storm that is predicted to create power outages and significant travel challenges across the Commonwealth over the next few days."
3:40 p.m. EST Tuesday: At Pinehurst, N.C., 2.5 inches of snow has fallen, the Pinehurst Fire Department reported. Radar:

3:35 p.m. EST Tuesday: About 3,500 Duke Energy customers in North Carolina and another 360 Duke Energy Progress customers in South Carolina were without service, the utilities reported.
3:20 p.m. EST Tuesday: A traffic camera shows snow along I-85 South in South Carolina:

2:50 p.m. EST Tuesday: In Craven County, N.C., snow totals have reached 6 inches, according to an NWS observer. Observers estimate snowfall rates at over an inch an hour.
1:45 p.m. EST Tuesday: Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal expands the state of emergency to include 43 more counties across the state. Georgia now has 88 counties under states of emergency.
1:30 p.m. EST Tuesday: Snow continues to fall heavily in Minnesott Beach, N.C.; 2.5 inches have accumulated so far, according to an NWS employee.
12:30 p.m. EST Tuesday: A 911 call center in Wadesboro, N.C., reports 1 to 2 inches of sleet accumulation in Anson County.
12:15 p.m. EST Tuesday: "One batch of snow and ice was affecting areas from northeastern Georgia to upstate South Carolina and part of North Carolina Tuesday midday," AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said. "However, the main storm will not hit many of these areas and others until Wednesday."
11:45 a.m. EST Tuesday: Watch the latest storm updates in the noon edition of AccuWeather LIVE:
11:25 a.m. EST Tuesday: The Alabama Department of Transportation lists several road advisories as a result of icy conditions, including all U.S. and State Routes in Cullman County, I-759 in Etowah County and I-59 in DeKalb County.
11:15 a.m. EST Tuesday: Heavy snow continues to accumulate across Simpsonville, S.C.:

(Instagram/eeoberle)
10:55 a.m. EST Tuesday: North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory held a press conference to discuss maintenance efforts as storm progresses, saying they will treat and retreat roads as necessary but will keep the safety of workers in mind. His office is urging people to stay off roads:
10:45 a.m. EST Tuesday: An NWS-trained spotter reports 1.5 inches of snow so far for New Bern, N.C. Radar:

10:30 a.m. EST Tuesday: Atlanta Public Schools announce closures for Tuesday and Wednesday. The Atlanta Zoo has also closed.
10:05 a.m. EST Tuesday: Multiple accidents reported in the greater Atlanta area by Georgia 511. Accidents causing all lanes to be blocked at mile marker 27 on I-85 northbound, partial road block on I-20 west by Post Road and all lanes to be blocked on I-75 south by state route 19, among others.
9:55 a.m. EST Tuesday: FlightStats lists excessive delays for Dallas/Fort Worth International and Charlotte Douglas International. Significant delays listed for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International and moderate delays at Birmingham.
9:40 a.m. EST Tuesday: Up to 4 inches of snow have been reported so far in Fort Payne, Ala., by a local emergency manager.
9:20 a.m. EST Tuesday: Snow continues to fall in Greenville, S.C.:
8:50 a.m. EST Tuesday: An NWS employee in Simpsonville, S.C., reported 1.7 inches of snow accumulation so far.
8:00 a.m. EST Tuesday: See the latest updates in the morning edition of AccuWeather LIVE:
6:40 a.m. EST Tuesday: The Mississippi Department of Transportation is warning residents of the winter weather conditions as freezing rain builds up on bridges and roadways:
6:25 a.m. EST Tuesday: More than 500 flights have been canceled into or out of the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, according to FlightStats.
6:10 a.m. EST Tuesday: Law enforcement in Eupora, Miss., report 0.1 of an inch of freezing rain buildup, especially on local bridges.

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