Ice storm leaves 500,000 without power in US just before Christmas; Toronto shivers

AUGUSTA, Maine - More than 500,000 homes and businesses were still without power Tuesday afternoon in parts of central and northeastern U.S. after a weekend ice and snow storm rolled across the region.

More than 7,000 flights were behind schedule Monday night, many of those in New York, Washington and Chicago as people struggled to travel before Christmas.

At least 11 people in the U.S. have been killed in the storm.

In Canada, police said two people in Ontario are dead from carbon monoxide poisoning after using a gas generator to heat their blacked-out home northeast of Toronto.

The region was under a cold alert, with temperatures expected to be well below freezing Tuesday.

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford said 115,000 customers were still awaiting power, and officials said some may not have it restored until after Christmas.

Some U.S. states kept emergency shelters open for people who would be without power.

___

Associated Press writer Charmaine Noronha contributed to this report.