SEATTLE (AP) - Tens of thousands of storm-weary people in the Pacific Northwest are facing the prospect of days without power as the region continues to clean up from a messy storm.
Puget Sound Energy used three helicopters Friday to check its transmission lines as crews repair damage from Thursday's ice storm. Utility spokeswoman Terri-Ann Betancourt says it had about 254,000 customers out of service at mid-day, mostly around Seattle, Tacoma and Olympia. The utility it could take into the weekend or later to get the power back on.
Interstate 5 was briefly closed Friday morning near Centralia so crews could remove fallen power lines. Around midday, Washington State Patrol troopers closed both Tacoma Narrows bridges because of large ice chunks falling onto the bridge deck.
In Seattle, residents were asked for help clearing the city's 80,000 storm drains.
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