The second winter storm in two weeks is likely to bring “crippling ice totals” to Atlanta and parts of the east coast Wednesday.

The National Weather Service said some areas could end up with 18 inches of precipitation as a result of Winter Storm Pax.  While most of the Carolinas will receive snow, Georgia officials are preparing for up to an inch of ice.

Over 86,000 residents in the southeast have already lost power because of the storm and tens of thousands likely will lose power before the end of the day Wednesday.

Seven deaths have been directly attributed to the storm.  Over 75 percent of the flights from Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport were canceled due to the weather.  The number is expected to climb through the day Wednesday.

Alabama and Georgia were under states of emergency because of the storm.  Alabama officials reported ice starting to build up on vehicles and power lines early Wednesday morning as the storm moves east.  In some parts of Georgia, a half inch of ice has already accumulated on trees and power lines before the bulk of the storm.

National Guard troops in Georgia are on stand by to evacuate nursing homes or hospitals if power lines go down.  Georgia officials say it’s possible to have “catastrophic” problems with the power grid.