Southern US thaws from storm, but black ice risks remain as temperatures fluctuate

After a freezing winter storm shut schools, cut power, and canceled or delayed flights, the South was slowly thawing Sunday as the weather warmed.

Crews worked furiously and by Sunday morning power had been restored to parts of North Carolina and South Carolina where tens of thousands of customers lost electricity over the last few days, according to Duke Energy.

Power was back for 97% of the retail customers served by Georgia Power — the state's largest utility — which serves all but four of the state’s 159 counties, it said.

“Crews have . . .