A “catastrophic” ice storm wreaking havoc in the American South is now poised to pummel the eastern seaboard. Some 140,000 people are without power in Georgia, Texas and North and South Carolina and 3,000 US flights have been cancelled due to ice and strong winds, reported the BBC on Wednesday.Nearly empty roadways were reported as many heeded warnings to stay indoors.North Carolina and Virginia are bracing for up to 1ft (30cm) of snow as the storm rolls north.It is predicted to drop up to 8in of snow in Washington DC and up to 10in in New York overnight.At least five traffic accident deaths were blamed on ice in Texas and Mississippi.