Storm Cuts Power to 1.25 Million Customers, New York, New England

December 12, 2008 2:33 PM ET

The ice storm is over in much of the Northeast, but its effects linger on.

More than 1.25 million homes and businesses are without power, from Maine to Pennsylvania.

States of emergency have been declared in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, where schools are closed and travel disrupted.The storm brought rain, freezing rain, sleet and snow through last night. In some areas, that miserable mix is continuing today.Fire departments have been responding to reports of transformer explosions, utility poles and wires down, and trees falling on homes. Crews have been so busy dealing with safety hazards like live power lines they haven't been immediately able to begin restoration efforts.Authorities say it could take days for all customers to get service fully restored.

New Hampshire has set up a telephone hotline for people having problems or special needs related to the ice storm. Calls about power outages still should go to power companies, and emergency calls still should go to 911.

People with other needs should call the hotline. The number is: (888) 330-6764.

Nearly two dozen shelters have been set up across southern New Hampshire for those who lost power.

The shelters are in Fremont, Raymond, Winchester, Portsmouth, Wakefield, Brentwood, Henniker, Nashua, New London, Gilford, Londonderry, Alton, Washington, Middleton, Kingston, Exeter, Charlestown, Rindge, Derry, Jaffrey and Newmarket.

"As greenhouse gasses increase, the faster they increase, the more extreme weather and climate events we'll be seeing," said Thomas Karl, co-editor of the report and director of the National Climatic Data Center at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration