US storm leaves 500,000 without power

Utility crews were working feverishly to restore power to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses in the eastern US after an ice storm knocked out electricity to more than a million customers, damage one official likened to that from a hurricane.

The Northeast’s second winter storm of the week dumped more than a foot (30 cms) of snow in some states on Wednesday, forcing schools, businesses and government offices to close, hitting air travel and sending cars and trucks sliding on slippery roads.