Utilities companies in the Northeast say the number of homes and businesses without power fell by nearly half in a 24-hour period.
More than 440,000 customers still lacked power on Wednesday morning, down from more than 840,000 a day earlier.
In all, nearly 1.5 million customers lost power due to a powerful wind and rain storm that peaked in the early Monday morning hours.
Maine remained the most impacted state, with more than 260,000 homes and businesses still in the dark on Wednesday morning. Some schools and public facilities remained closed on Wednesday.
Drought conditions across much of Maine may have contributed to the large numbers of trees that toppled during a storm that walloped the Northeast this week.
The storm cut power to more than a million people in the region at its peak. It left more Mainers in the dark than even the infamous 1998 ice storm, but the long-term effects will likely be much different.
Officials with the Maine Emergency Management Agency say because of dry conditions, the roots of many trees weren't healthy. They also say the ground conditions along with foliage that remained on the trees made them more susceptible to wind.
Tree limbs fell from the weight of ice in 1998. Many people affected by that disaster also were affected by this week's storm.
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