North Dakota governor declares emergency for ice storm that left thousands without power

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum has declared a statewide emergency because of an ice storm that felled power poles and lines, leaving more than 20,000 without power. In a news release Friday, the governor’s office said Burgum will ask President Joe Biden to declare a disaster so that the state can receive federal aid. The ice storm that struck this week also shut down segments of interstate highways, including from Grand Forks to the Canadian border. Roads were so slick in North Dakota’s capital city of Bismarck that people donned ice skates in some neighborhoods. The ice storm was part of a major winter storm that struck the central U.S., causing flight delays and blizzard conditions.