ELLSWORTH ( AP) — Maine utility officials say the ice storm that started last weekend doesn’t compare to the infamous ice storm of 1998. But it’s plenty bad in Hancock County.

Most utility customers in Maine are expected to have their lights on by week’s end, but there are pockets where it could take longer. A Bangor Hydro Electric spokeswoman says it could be New Year’s Day before the lights are on for everyone in Hancock County.

Of Bangor Hydro’s 9,000 customers without power this morning, more than 5,100 were in Hancock County.

Central Maine Power Co. was reporting almost 6,700 outages this morning.

All told, more than 100,000 homes and businesses in Maine were in the dark at some point during the storm. That’s far less than the 1998 storm.

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