Icy storm threatens Americans with power outages, extreme cold

NEW YORK, Jan 24: Americans stripped supermarket shelves Friday ahead of potentially "catastrophic" winter weather that threatened at least 160 million people across the country with transportation chaos, blackouts and life-threatening cold.

The massive storm system was set to drop a mix of freezing rain and heavy snow starting Friday evening on its days-long march across the continental US.

The storm could bring "catastrophic ice accumulation," the National Weather Service said, potentially causing "long-duration power outages, extensive tree damage, and extremely dangerous or impassable travel conditions," including in many states less accustomed to intense winter weather. �"AFP