FLORENCE -- A surprise cold front that brought ice and sleet Sunday continued to make life miserable for residents of the Pee Dee Monday.

Temperatures initially expected to be above freezing by noon stayed in the upper 20s, causing hundreds of wrecks, numerous scrapes and bruises from falls and widespread havoc to school and business schedules.

Today's temperatures are expected to reach the low 40s by late afternoon, but residents were warned to be ready for another morning of frozen roads, icy steps and slick sidewalks.

Weather forces schools to make early calls on classes Icy conditions keep hospital staffs busy Surprising storm systems throw curve ballls to forecasters Icy winter weather wreaks havoc throughout Pee Dee

Late Monday afternoon, after almost two days' build-up of sleet and freezing rain, tree limbs and power lines were beginning to succumb to the pressure, leaving many who'd had power all day suddenly without at nightfall.

"Mobilized personnel remain on call and additional crews are in route now to assist with storm restoration," said Jackie Joyner, Progress Energy's system storm coordinator. "These personnel will be strategically placed throughout the service area to ensure that we can restore power to our customers as quickly and safely as possible."

From Kingstree to Bennettsville to Marion and Dillon, freezing rain and ice made not only for power outages but also for dangerous road conditions Sunday and Monday. And many of those who tried to brave the glassy highways endured the wrath of Mother Nature's wintery mix.

On Sunday, car accidents in Dillon and Darlington counties claimed the lives of a Hartsville man and a North Charleston man. In both instances, ice and bad weather conditions contributed to the crashes.

As conditions worsened on Monday, the wrecks continued to pile up, keeping law enforcement officers and emergency workers across the Pee Dee busy throughout the day.

Even in the few minutes of peace from the roadway troubles, emergency workers found themselves busy responding to calls for help from people who'd slipped and fallen on icy steps and slick sidewalks.

Many of those who chose to stay at home rather than brave the outside had their own problems to deal with. Thousands in the Pee Dee experienced power outages Monday, while others awoke to busted pipes. As the day progressed and utility wires began breaking, many also found themselves homebound without cable televsion.

To add to all the morning confusion, news that schools and daycares would be closed rather than just delayed left parents who did have to go to work scrambling to find a baby-sitter at the last minute. Some were unable to find childcare on such short notice and had to call in to work, while many of those who were able to find baby-sitters arrived at their jobs only to be told to go back home.

Some area businesses opted to close because of the inclement weather. Others such as delivery restaurants, motels and car rental services stayed open to cater to residents who were stuck at home and travelers who were stuck in limbo.

"There's not a whole lot of flying going on," said Hartsell Rogers, executive director at Florence Regional Airport. "It's not so much because of the weather here, but the flights are delayed in Atlanta and Charlotte, and all the flights into Florence were canceled Monday morning."

As a result, many travelers who were scheduled to fly out of Florence opted to rent a car and drive instead. Others decided to spend the night in Florence, giving area motels a boost in business during what is typically their off-season. For those who did decide to stick around, lunch was just a phone call away.

"Our people are out, but it's been hectic," an employee of Papa John's Pizza on Cherokee Road said. "We're out there, but we're not as fast as usual. The wait's a little longer."

Despite mild temperatures on Saturday, weather conditions began to deteriorate Sunday afternoon.

The sudden blast of icy weather quickly glazed over roads and soon led to two fatal car crashes in the Pee Dee.

The first happened about 4 p.m. Sunday on U.S. Interstate 95 in Dillon County, S.C. Highway Patrol Senior Trooper Ashley Mew said.

Curtis Lamorris Chestnut, 35, of North Charleston was traveling south on I-95 in a 1988 Toyota when his vehicle struck a patch of ice on the roadway, slid across the median and struck a guardrail. His car bounced off the guardrail and struck an oncoming 1996 International truck head-on.

Chestnut, who was not wearing a seat belt, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.

Later Sunday night, a crash along Old Camden Road in Darlington County claimed the life of a 52-year-old Hartsville man.

James Earl Hodges was headed north on Old Camden Road, just north of Hartsville, when his 1987 truck ran off the roadway and overturned. Hodges, who was not wearing a seat belt, died at the scene.

Icy conditions also caused problems on Interstate 95, especially on the exit and entrance ramps, Mew said. Most bridges and overpasses also were iced over, causing very dangerous conditions.

"We've got sand and salt down in a lot of the bad areas," Mew said in an interview Monday, "but they're still freezing over."

Conditions on county and secondary roads across the region were just as bad, if not worse.

"The wrecks have been terrible," said Darlington County Sheriff's Lt. Robin Bryant. "There are several patches on Highway 151, where if you go over 30 miles per hour, your car starts drifting on you. And the secondary roads aren't any better. It's really just a big mess."

In addition to road problems, power outages and stoplight malfunctions, Marion County Sheriff's deputies and others were forced to deal with numerous security alarm calls during the course of the day.

A load of minor car wrecks and fender benders caused by ice kept deputies in Dillon and Marlboro Counties just as busy on Monday.

All state government offices closed, and most non-essential personnel at the municipal and county government level also had the day off.

The Florence City/County Complex closed for business Monday for all but essential personnel.

In addition to power concerns, frozen pipes were a problem in many areas of the region, as temperatures never broke the freezing mark Sunday or Monday. Though most plumbers were not bombarded with calls Monday, some said they anticipate a hike in calls during the next few days.

"It's slow today, but I imagine it will be really busy Tuesday," said Tiffany Ventimiglio, office manager at Jordan and Sons plumbing in Florence.

Mail was delivered in the Pee Dee Monday and will continue to be as long as conditions do not get too dangerous for postal carriers. To keep routes safe for mail carriers and postal vehicles, residents are asked to keep driveways, walkways, porches, steps and all access areas to mailboxes clear of ice and limbs.

Depending on the severity of today's weather, customers on secondary roads may not receive mail if the roads are impassable and unsafe for postal drivers.

To aid residents and travelers in their decisions today, the
South Carolina Department of Transportation activated its toll-free call center Monday. The center is scheduled to be open until noon today.

For information on road conditions across the state, residents and travelers can call 1-888-877-9151 or log on to the SCDOT's Web site at www.scdot.org.