It is not for lack of trying, utility officials say.

Utility officials, however, weren't going to give in so easily.

As of Thursday afternoon, more than 2,000 people were still without power in those areas, utility officials said.

Utility officials said they did not know when power had last been cut in selected areas because demand was too high.

Similar calculations were made by utility officials in the other affected states.

Utility officials in Louisiana reported that more than 100,000 homes and businesses were without power.

Most customers were expected to have service restored over the weekend, utility officials said.

Utility officials predicted that it could be weeks before all service was restored.

Utility officials said the company was not involved in union or political battles likely to give rise to an act of destruction.

By late this afternoon, utility officials said, power had been restored at all but a few hundred homes.