george howell is live in atlanta. when millions were caught off guard, take a look. hardly anyone on the roads. we are tracking it all here on the roads. we will show you what we find as the "cnn newsroom" continues. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ told ya you could do it. (dad vo) i want her to be safe. so, i taught her what i could and got her a subaru. (girl) piece of cake. ♪ (announcer) love. it's what makes a subaru, a subaru. it's not the "juggle a bunch of rotating categories" card. it's not the "sign up for rewards each quarter" card. it's the no-games, no-messing-'round, no-earning-limit-having, do-i-look-like-i'm-joking, turbo-boosting, heavyweight-champion- of-the-world cash back card. this is the quicksilver cash back card from capital one. unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, everywhere, every single day. now tell me, what's in your wallet? every single day. that's a man interviewino.for a job. not that one. that one. the one who seems like he's already got the job 'cause he studied all the right courses from the get-go.

george howell is one that is hitting the road. i'm glad to know he is not in front of the wheel.e is on a highway in atlanta. how is it looking out there? what are conditions like right there? are you even seeing some sun? >> reporter: right. we are driving on a bed of slush. we have seen sleet come in overnight and through the morning. we could switch over and show the camera here. driving here on lang ford ovforo 285 along the perimeter. what you are seeing, no one on the roads. that is great news. think about what we saw two weeks ago when so many people got caught by surprise when the storm came in during the rush-hour. this time, the storm came in overnight. there was a lot of preparation and people were told to stay off the roads. that's what they are doing. what we're on the hunt for right now, we're going through one of these areas where the power is out, looking to see if we can find power crews to do their job. keep in mind, so many people are coming from so many different states to basically help restore power. many of these power lines just weren't prepared for. many

george howell reporting live from atlanta, georgia this morning.es at another steep cost. price of removing the snow and ice to make roads possible. the work is creating big headaches n. maryland the state came in the season $48 million in the snow removal budget. look how much it actually spent. more than $82 million as of yesterday. we have several weeks of winter left. they aren't forgetting that in virginia that budget $157 million. the state tallying how much they've spent, but they're confident they've blown through that budget. in washington, the usual budget talk is muted today. the government shut down federal officers. cnn erin mcpike is in d.c. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. washington d.c. is shut down, bus services even suspended. you see why. roads are in really bad shape behind me. also because the federal government is closed it means there are no cars really outside the capital. all the hearings not going on. a lot of people came into town for those hearings, and they're stuck here because the airport and run ways are shu

. >>> george howell is also out on the icy roads of atlanta right now, a city paralyzed by a storm earlier this winter. george, what's it like where you are? >> reporter: wolf, we have been driving around pretty much all morning through the sleet, through the freezing rain, and really the best example of the effect that can have is right here on the antenna of our suv. you look at all the ice that has built up on this antenna over just a few hours. and you know, there is more to come. again, this is a multiday event, and as it builds up on power lines, as it builds up on trees, the concern is that trees will fall, power lines will go down, and as chad mentioned, more than 200,000 people without power at this hour here in the metro area. i want to go ahead and switch over to our camera on the road, just to see you -- somehow you, rather, what the roads look like right now. and, again, people really heeded the warning. people are staying off the roads, they're staying at home. the roads right now, many of these highways. this is interstate 20. i-20 was sanded. so that's good news. people who

our george howell is with us from chicago. what kind of manhunt is underway?g for this guy. he is dangerous. >> reporter: we know this is across state lines. we know the u.s. marshals are involved in this. you can see the mug shot. you can see it here on the screen. we know the vehicle, a red jeep liberty. yesterday evening, we understand, that is when officials at the correctional facility, the ionia county correctional facility realized that the inmate was missing. we also got some more insight into exactly how this happened. according to surveillance video there, he got his hands on prison whites. this is a uniform that is associated with being in the kitchen. however, elliot was not assigned to the kitchen. he managed to get access to a part of that prison where he basically bent the wires, i should say. he bent the fence, saw that he was able to get out of the interior fence and the perimeter fence. he made his way to freedom. here is the thing. he made his way to the city of ionia and car jacked the woman and the two of them headed to elk heart, indiana.

george howell out surveying the damage in forest park, georgia, this morning. george, give us a sense of the situation. >> reporter: john, you know, the good news is we're out of the woods as far as the sleet is concerned. still a little snow coming down, but when you go into the woods, when you go into these wooded, suburban neighborhoods, you see the problem back here. you see the tree that has fallen on the power line. this is a community and one of many here throughout the area where people had to sleep, you know, in the cold, without power. in this particular case, we spoke with the crews, and apparently, they're waiting to get permission from the power company to move that tree. they want to make sure that the line is safe. certainly, we're keeping a good distance away from it as well, as you see -- you may not be able to see it, but the yellow tape there, staying away from that. but again, this is something you find throughout the area. i used to work here in this market. not surprised by this, because these trees and also the power lines, when they get t

i'm michaela pereira. >> and i'm george howell. 5:30 here in the east.ting to see the beginnings of what could be a major winter storm. we're talking about snow, ice and rain that's starting to fall in texas to the carolinas. by thursday, it could reach all the way to the northeast. and then the real worries come into play. it could be very bad for a lot of people. hundreds of flights have already been canceled. >>> in alabama, it began overnight. want to show you pictures from overnight just north of birmingham. you can see snow falling and accumulating on the roads already. the entire state will be under a state of emergency beginning in just a few hours. crews were out late trying to get ahead of it, spraying down the roads in advance of the storm. many schools are already closed and residents there are being told just to stay at home. >>> all right, look at this. the store shelves nearly wiped clean in the state of georgia as folks scrambled to get ready for the storm. 45 counties are now under a state of emergency. most schools there have been close

george howell, cnn, chicago.>> jacqueline: here is a look at futurecast tomorrow as six still cloudy but no rain yet the showers will start around 7:00 continue into the died o'clock hour. knight thinks will target to more widespread and heavier. o'clock hour the afternoon largely was the drier conditions the hang onto the spotty conditions that futurecast is showing. the mine fog totals will be higher than we have park to anticipated. next on kron 4 news at five. >> jacqueline: as for the sierra tomorrow evening 8:00 just starting fairly wide spread by midnight and continued into the lorry. early morning. several inches i to thursday and dry by friday. however, picking up 2-4 inches of snow. >> jacqueline: computer model shows largely concentrated on the north that as it did a little closer we will let you know. in the newscast earlier we do have quite a bit of snow over the last several days in the sierra. homewood 26 creek will keep you posted all the new snowfall toll tools... log on to snowball.com >> report

george howell is out of chicago. george, police say they found the car. what else do we know about his whereabouts? >> they found the car east of elk hart. you can see he did not get too far and in fact they know where the car is on state street right now. there is a perimeter set up as they look for evidence. they look for him in that neighborhood. no other cars have been stolen in the neighborhood so there is a search for him there. neighbors have been told to be on the look out and the west view schools, we know vest view schools in that area have been put on lockdown as a safety precaution as they continue to look for it. >> what about this woman that was abducted who managed to escape? what did she say? >> there is a story to tell there. from what we understand again as you pointed out. from elk hart, indiana. he went into the gas station to prepay for gas and that is when the owner if she could go to the restroom. the owner said go to the restroom and lock the door and don't come out. when elliott went to knock on the door, she said i need more time

cnn's george howell jones us with more. good morning, george. >> reporter: carol, good morning.keeping in close contact with officials here at cnn chicago. we are trying to figure out where he could be and what his movements might be. first of all, officials say make michael david elliot was able to get his hands on prison whites, a uniform associated with working in the kitchen. during that time, somehow, he was able to get access to different parts of that facility where he twisted and contorted the fencing, both the inner fencing and the perimeter, the o outer fencing to make his escape i want you to hear what officials say about him as a prisoner. they never had any indication he would try to escape. listen. >> this all has to do with custody classifications. this particular inmate had had no institutional problems for many years. he was at a level 2 classification. that's a little step down but that's based on their performance in the institutions, nothing that in this man's history would have indicated a high risk for escape. he had been serving his time. so obviously, cla

george howell joins me with the latest. >> reporter: this was one of elliott's stop today in indiana.uthorities tell us they arrested him in la port county indiana, not far from here after a heck of a 24 hours, after escaping prison, stealing two cars and kidnapping a woman who managed to break free. >> is this is an image of michael david elliott on the run since his escape from prison. he prepayed for gas in elkhart, indiana. at the same time outside, the woman elliott carjacked and kidnapped was secretly making a 911 call that may have saved her life. >> when and where did he pick you up? >> in ionia, michigan. >> he forced his way into your vehicle in ionia, michigan? >> yes. >> she asked for a break to go to the restroom. both were in the store at one point, the woman kept asking him for information. this lady ask me, what is your address, i need water. i gave her a cup of water, then she asked a second time, i need your address. i gave the address. then that guy and she talk to each other, they act like normal. they are not scared. >> once inside the restroom, the woman locks he

george howell is on those roads, very carefully driving atlanta for us. d also chad myers watching very carefully in downtown atlanta right now. george, give me a feel again for what you're seeing on the roadways. >> reporter: certainly. so to the north, ashleigh, we hear about snow accumulation. to the south of atlanta, it's all about the freezing rain, the sleet and the ice. and i want to give you a good example of what we're talking about here. bear with me. look at the antenna, radio antenna on our car. our suv. you can see the ice build-up there. and as we get layer upon layer of rain as it comes in and the freezing rain, that's what you see on the trees. that's what you see on the power lines. the weight of this ice and snow on top of it, the weight will bring down trees, the weight is bringing down power lines. want to switch over now to show you our camera here on the road, here on interstate 20. we are following these power crews as they do their work. we know at least 187,000 people are without power. that number continues to go up by the hour. b

our george howell is in clayton county, georgia. i understand, george, they're really struggling through this one this time. >> absolutely. you know, what we're looking at right now we're in the clear as far as the storm is concerned. the temperature's rising, that's good news. but the problem is there are a lot of power outages. and we talked to some folks here who are trying to deal with it. the worst of the storm may have passed, but now there's a new challenge for hundreds of thousands who lost power in the south and northeast, and more outages are expected. >> it's cold. no heat. can't even see. >> left in the dark, gayla and her husband had to sleep through the cold. how did you get through the night? >> i just stayed under the cover and prayed, i guess. it was really cold. it was really down in the lower degrees. i managed what i could. >> this place in clayton county, georgia, one of the hardest hit, nearly 300,000 lost power alone in georgia. residents here knew the ice and snow that built up on trees and power lines would

george howell, cnn, chicago. >> reactions? did you guys see it? >> it's tough.u have a boy that age, it's hard to know. do you let them play, do you not? >> football is violent. >> the body isn't equipped to handle all those hits. equipment only protects them so much. >> let's do what i do when i'm uncomfortable, i changes subject. let's go to the mayor's first ground hog conference and then this happened. chuck wiggled himself out of the mayor's grasp, and he's reportedly fine. back in 2009, chuck bit his predecessor, michael bloomberg's blood. his name is chuck. y fe-- he felt he needed to be chucked. >> i know de blasio. he's a good guy. >> he has on those crazy gloves, he falls on the ground, the woman next to him has no gloves and he's sitting there, all 6'7" of him with his big fireman gloves on -- >> the mayor has some 'splainin' to do. >> you're sitting there with your big gloves, you're 6'7", the woman without gloves just scoops him up. come on, man, grab the wood chuck. grab the damn wood chuck! >> chill out! >> i didn't know it was a ground hog. that

george howell is on the roads in atlanta this morning. george? >> reporter: john, good morning. snow to the north of us. a concern about ice to the south. william if we can switch over and show the road camera, interstate 85 driving into the city, into the connector. keep in mind this is rush hour. you would expect a lot of people on the roads right now. hardly anyone is out here. you see an official police officer ahead of us checking the roads. compare this to what we saw just a couple of weeks ago. again that was a storm that came in right before the rush hour, caught millions of people by surprise. this time the storm came in overnight. and there was a lot of preparation. these roads have been sanded and salted. everyone told to stay home. again, john, kate, the concern right now it's about those power lines. about the trees. because as we see this ice and the snow compile upon itself that's when the weight will bring down trees, bring down power lines, and this is a multiday event. what you see right now we expect to see a lot more of it as we continue through this storm. >

our storm coverage will continue with george howell who is live in forest park outside of atlanta. >> kate, good morning. i have. take a look at why. if we can go down here and show you. the nice coat of ice, or the snow but you look down below the snow and it's just a bed of ice. you see this everywhere. on the side streets especially. on some highways. the concern is that if people go back on to the roads, they could find themselves in major problems. so again you hear the officials warning folks. and also the local tv affiliates warning fe ining people to stay. stay inside. you are also hearing complaints from folks they want to get outside. they have cabin fever. the best advice is to stay in. we're dealing with the ice event right now. a little snow coming down. no sleet. no freezing rain. though the effects you can see, this tree that fell on a power line you see this all over, really. that tree fell over and this community for the last several hours has been sleeping in the cold. it could take several days before power is restored. but again, the good news is this was a situa

that woman is safe and sound, and the man is back in custody george howell is in indiana with more this george. >> reporter: carol, good morning. there's the kidnapping, alleged theft of two vehicles, not to mention the escape from prison. fair to say in the last 24 hours it was a wild run of freedom from elliott that culminated here in a high speed chase that ended in a snow bank. a two state man hunt comes to an end overnight after authorities capture the escaped convict serving time for murder. authorities spotted michael david elliott during the traffic stop in la port county, indiana after he spent 24 hours on the run from a michigan prison. >> he ran over a couple sets of stop sticks our sergeants laid out. his tires were going flat. he lost control of the vehicle, came to an intersection and slid into the snow bank. he wasn't able to move further. >> reporter: sunday night prison guards discovered elliott missing from his cell. it's unclear how he managed to escape. once outside, he pulled back the fencing of security barriers and crawled underneath. his escape took a dramatic tu

george howell is in indiana on the scene. what do we know?r elliott that ended here in la port county, indiana. again, police say he did several things from stealing two cars to even kidnapping a woman who managed to get away. a two state man hunt comes to an end after authorities capture the escaped convict serving time for murder. authorities spotted david elliott in indiana after he spent 24 hours on the run from a michigan prison. >> he ran over a couple of stop sticks some of our sergeants laid out. his tires were going flat. he lost control of the vehicle. came to a t-intersection and slid to a snow bank he wasn't able to move further. >> reporter: it began when prison guards discovered elliott missing from his cell. it's unclear how he managed to escape. once outside, he pulled back the fencing of the security barriers and crawled underneath. his escape took a dramatic turn when he abduct aid woman in michigan forcing his way into her car and driving across state lines into indiana. >> he has a hammer. and a box cutter. >> surveillance