Many still in dark days after ice storm

OKLAHOMA CITY — More than 88,000 homes and businesses in Oklahoma remained without power Tuesday, more than a week after an ice storm plunged them into darkness.

Utility crews estimated that crews would have power restored by late today or Thursday. Meanwhile, overnight temperatures in the state in the past week have dipped into the teens.

Many residents have a new problem to rival dwindling temperatures: dwindling bank accounts. Some have spent their money to stay in hotels, thinking power at home would be restored within a day or two, or depleted their funds by stocking up before the storm on food that has now spoiled.

Oklahoma was hardest hit by the ice storm that struck the Midwest and Northeast last week. The state medical examiner’s office said the storm contributed to at least 27 of the region’s 38 total deaths.

In Kansas, where six of those deaths were blamed on last week’s storm, about 24,000 customers remained without power, and some of those in rural areas might not see electricity restored for a week or more. The reason is another winter storm expected later this week, said Larry Detwiler of the Kansas Electric Cooperatives.

“We all hope for everybody to be back on by Christmas,” he said. “I’m not sure that’s a realistic goal.”