More than 100,000 homes and businesses were still without power across two US states and parts of Canada today as the impact of a winter storm lingered more than a week after it brought chaos to the area.

Extreme weather made life miserable from one end of the United States to the other, with people forced out of their homes by wildfires and major flooding.

A winter storm that slathered the US Midwest and Plains under a thick coat of ice crashed into the North-east today, downing power lines, making roads treacherous and chasing away spring-like temperatures.

Lumber from obliterated buildings was scattered among corn stalks, concrete foundations were exposed where houses once stood and silos were crushed like empty aluminium cans after deadly storms swept across America’s northern Plains with twisters and large hail.

A line of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes have torn across America’s midsection, peeling away roofs, overturning cars and killing at least 10 people in Tennessee.

In a rare instance of a former US President criticising a current one, Jimmy Carter has been taking issue with just about everything George W. Bush has done in office.