At a Glance
- Hundreds of flights were canceled for Thursday at Dallas-area airports.
- Over 400,000 power outages were reported in Texas Thursday morning.
- Motorists were asked to to stay off dangerous roads in several areas.
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Roads remained treacherous and hundreds of thousands were without power Thursday morning as a deadly ice storm pummeled parts of Texas, Arkansas and Tennessee.
At least 10 deaths are being blamed on icy road conditions from the storm, named Winter Storm Mara by The Weather Channel. Seven people died in crashes in Texas, two in Oklahoma and one in Arkansas.
(LATEST FORECAST: Ice Storm Spreads From Texas To Tennessee)
More than 415,000 power outages were being reported in Texas as of about noon eastern time Thursday, according to PowerOutage.us. Arkansas was reporting about 70,000 outages, while Mississippi had about 24,000 and Tennessee around 20,000.
Schools in Dallas and Fort Worth are shut down.
Here are our updates from Wednesday:
(5:43 p.m. ET) Hundreds Of Dallas Flights Already Canceled For Thursday
Airlines have canceled more than 450 flights scheduled for Thursday to or from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, according to online tracking service FlightAware.
(5:32 p.m. ET) Texas Power Outages Continue To Climb
The number of outages in Texas rose to more than 350,000, according to PowerOutage.us. Since each outage can account for several people, that means hundreds of thousands are without power in freezing temperatures.
If using a generator, remember to follow the safety rules to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
(5:27 p.m. ET) Vehicles Slide On Slippery Texas Roads
Video from Cleburne, Texas, showed vehicles slipping and sliding on roadways covered in ice. Cleburne is in Johnson County, about 25 miles south of Fort Worth.
(2:46 p.m. ET) Texas Power Outages Top 300,000
More than 313,000 homes, businesses and other utility customers are without power in Texas, according to PowerOutage.us. More than half are in Travis County, which includes the city of Austin. The rest stretch across more than two dozen counties, mostly in a line running northeast of Austin.
(2:38 p.m. ET) Austin Hospital Postpones Some Procedures
St. David's North Austin Medical Center is rescheduling non-emergent procedures after a brief outage there this morning, according to KXAN-TV.
(1:05 p.m. ET) Austin Emergency Crews Turn Attention To Downed Trees, Power Lines
"First responders are focused on downed power lines and trees today," the city's transportation department tweeted. "Help them manage their call volumes by staying off of the roads."
The tweet said the city has responded to more than 300 traffic crashes this week. Earlier, Austin police said they responded to 215 on Tuesday alone.
(12:37 p.m. ET) Power Company: Expect Outages Through Thursday Morning
"Due to weather conditions, outages are likely to occur throughout the day and possibly into Thursday morning before temperatures begin to rise Thursday afternoon," Texas utility CPS Energy said in a news release this morning. "Customers are asked to be prepared with emergency plans and relocate safely, if needed and experiencing an extended outage, especially if using medical equipment."
The company is also reminding people to stay away from downed power lines.
About 16,000 CPS customers in the San Antonio area are without power, according to PowerOutage.us. Overall, about 285,000 outages are being reported statewide.
(11:20 a.m. ET) Death Toll Rises To Seven
Three men died when the vehicle they were riding in crashed on a slippery road near Brownfield, about 40 miles southwest of Lubbock, according to The Associated Press.
Four deaths had previously been reported, also in Texas.
(9:51 a.m. ET) First Responders Injured In Icy Accidents
A trooper with the Texas Department of Public Safety trooper was seriously injured Tuesday after being struck by a car that slid on ice on Interstate 45 in Navarro County.
Trooper Curtis Putz was investigating another crash when a vehicle that was traveling too fast skidded on the ice and struck the trooper, according to Texas DPS Director Steven C. McCraw.
Putz was taken to a Dallas-area hospital where he remained in serious condition, according to KCEN.
A Travis County Sheriff's Office deputy was seriously hurt when he was hit and pinned under the tire of a semitrailer tractor.
The deputy was helping the driver of another 18-wheeler that had slid off the road on State Highway 130 when he was struck, KXAN reported.
He was taken to a hospital where he had surgery. He is expected to survive, according to KXAN.
(9:26 a.m. ET) Flight Cancellations Top 1,900
More than 1,900 flights scheduled for today have been canceled, according to flightaware.com More than 1,200 of those are at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Another 300 flights have been canceled at Dallas Love Field. Another 200 flights have been canceled at Austin-Bergstrom International.
(9:11 a.m. ET) Student Dies In Crash On Icy Texas Road
One student died and another sustained serious injuries in a rollover crash on an icy road Tuesday morning in Wolfforth, Texas.
The crash happened on Highway 62/82, according to KCBD.
The 18-year-old driving the vehicle lost control when it hit a slick patch on an overpass. The vehicle rolled over and landed in the median.
The driver was taken to a hospital in Lubbock with serious injuries. The passenger died in the crash. Neither have been identified.
The Ropes Independent School District released this statement:
"Ropes ISD is asking for the prayers of our community and the surrounding communities as we mourn the loss of one of our kids, who passed in a car accident this morning. We all know that our kid's lives are precious and each child is loved. Every child of God is valued and we are extremely saddened by this loss. We pray for this family, the school and the community."
Three other deaths in Texas are being linked to the storm.
Sherry Lynn Taylor, 49, died Monday evening when the pickup truck she was driving hit a tree near Eldorado, Texas, after she lost control because of icy road conditions, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Other victims include a 45-year-old man who died after being ejected from his car when he lost control on a slippery overpass Monday night in Arlington and a person killed in a 10-car pileup Tuesday morning in Austin.
(9 a.m. ET) Power Outages Top 260,000
More than 260,000 homes and businesses in Texas, Arkansas and other Southern states have no electricity Wednesday morning, according to poweroutage.us. More than 250,000 of those customers are in Texas.
(8:13 a.m. ET) Sleet Or Freezing Rain: One Is More Damaging
Winter Storm Mara is bringing sleet and freezing rain, but the freezing rain is potentially much more damaging than sleet. Even a light accumulation can cause major travel problems. Heavier accumulations can lead to power outages and other serious damage to trees and power lines. Read about how freezing rain and sleet form.
(8 a.m. ET) Power Outages Top 235,000
More than 235,000 homes and businesses in Texas, Arkansas and other Southern states have no electricity Wednesday morning, according to poweroutage.us. More than 220,000 of those customers are in Texas. In Arkansas, another 8,000 customers have lost power.
(5:56 a.m. ET) Over 200 Collisions in Austin
The Austin Police Department responded to 215 collision reports on Tuesday, the department said in a tweet.
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