(Host) Southern Vermont and parts of neighboring Massachusetts and New Hampshire have been crippled by the weather.
Freezing rain has coated everything in the region, including roads and trees.
An estimated 27,000 customers in Windham and Bennington counties are without electricity at this hour.
Mark Bosma of Vermont Emergency Management says conditions in the Deerfield Valley are some of the worst.
(Bosma) “It seems with every storm one town pops up as a sort of ground zero and right now it seems like that would be Wilmington. Most of the town is without power. In fact, the chief of police just called to let us know that in conjunction with the Red Cross they’re going to be opening an emergency shelter at Twin Valley High School at 4 o’clock this afternoon and they’re expecting a number of people to use that facility.”
(Host) Roads across the region are still slick. Route Nine between Brattleboro and Bennington has been tough going. The stretch of that highway between Brattleboro and Wilmington was closed this morning.
Interstate 91 in the southern part of the state also has been slippery. The ice has made it difficult for utility crews to fix downed lines.
The state says it could be a few days before electricity is restored for some people.