Feb 26, 2008 10:00 am US/Eastern
Thunderstorms, Heavy Snow Slam Midwest, South
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (CBS) ―
-
-
Another snowstorm hit the Chicago area just after a short weekend warm-up started to melt the snow piles around the area. (File)
CBS
A broad storm system spread heavy snow across the Great Lakes region Tuesday and fired up violent thunderstorms that knocked out power to thousands of homes and businesses in the Southeast.
At least two deaths were blamed on the stormy weather.
Fallen trees and other debris on roads slowed travel and several traffic accidents brought morning rush hour traffic to a standstill in Birmingham, authorities said.
A falling tree struck a mobile home and killed one person in Leeds, police reported in the town outside Birmingham.
Utilities said about 42,000 homes and business lost electrical service across central Alabama early Tuesday. About 93,000 more were blacked out in northern Georgia, mostly in the Atlanta metropolitan area, said Georgia Power spokeswoman Carol Boatright.
Snow fell from Illinois to New England, with more than 6 inches on the ground by late morning in northern Indiana and Ohio. Up to a foot of snow was possible in parts of Ohio, the National Weather Service said.
The FAA reported flight delays of up to 2 and a half hours for flights arriving at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago.
Inclement weather has also delayed flights destined for Newark International in New Jersey and Hartsfield International Airport in Atlanta, according to the FAA.
Schools were closed in parts of southern Michigan and northern areas of Indiana and Ohio, where the University of Toledo also closed for the morning. Some local government buildings closed in Ohio.
Several accidents shut down a stretch of slippery Interstate 75 in northern Ohio, police reported.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
CBS News Tools: Airport Tracker
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Comments