DERRY — With power expected to be out for several days, local emergency crews are preparing for a long weekend cleaning up tree limbs and ice damage from a winter storm that ripped through the region.

Lt. Bill Gillis of the Derry Fire Department said he's worked in town for 15 years and this is some of the worst storm related damage he's ever seen.

"It's just as bad if not worse as the ice storm in 1998," Gillis said.

Emergency personnel were concerned about elderly residents and those who may be without heat and water during the weekend. Town officials worked almost non-stop since midnight fine-tuning plans for residents while public works employees worked to clean up all the downed trees and utility wires throughout the region.

Over 100 roads are closed in Derry. Sixteen roads in Londonderry were impassable on Friday, according to Fire Chief Kevin MacAffrie.

A regional shelter has been opened at the in the gymnasium of the Londonderry High School for residents of Londonderry, Derry and Litchfield with no where to go. According to fire officials, the shelter can house close to 200 people. McAffrie said, as of 3 p.m. Friday, about 30 people had asked to use the shelter. Another 30 were being sent to the Londonderry shelter by the Windham Fire Department, which was also sending an emergency trailer with additional cots and other supplies.

Anyone who is without heat, water or other necessities should call the shelter's hotline at 845-5522.

"Families should be prepared that they may not have power back tonight or tomorrow," Gillis said.

Public Service of New Hampshire was reporting on Friday that approximately 270,000 customers, most in the southern part of the state, lost power. Company officials said that it could take up to three days for power to be restored to all customers. McAffrie said PSNH officials told him they were working on a five-day plan.

Gillis said the temperature was expected to drop into the 20's on Friday night which could make their jobs even more difficult in the next 24 hours.

"If you don't have to go outside, don't go," Gillis said.

Londonderry resident Mark Lockwood said his Pillsbury road home lost power around 11 p.m. on Thursday night and shortly after a utility pole in front of his home caught fire. His son alerted him to the fire minutes before the transformer exploded and ripped the power cable from the front of his home. Earlier today Lockwood was cleaning up tree branches in his yard when he noticed that a section of siding had fallen off his home during the night.

On the opposite side of his home a tree fell over a car in the driveway but that was less of a concern, he said.

"I don't think it ever hit the car but it came close," Lockwood said with a shovel in hand to clean up the debris.

On nearby Peabody Road Marc Michaud had his 1988 Ford Mustang totaled by a tree falling in his yard.

Michaud said a neighbor called to wake him up around 5 a.m. to tell him of the damage but he didn't believe it because he had moved the car on Thursday night to keep it safe. Unfortunately the spot next to the house where the car was parked before would have been safer.

On Friday afternoon, Michaud was cutting the tree into pieces with a chain saw while inspecting the damaged roof and rear windshield

"I woke up this morning and had to laugh," Michaud said.

Luckily, Michaud said he's in the process of rebuilding another Mustang so he'll just strip the damaged car and use the good parts on the new project.

Londonderry fire and rescue personnel are doing home checks on elderly and home-bound residents. They have 12 portable generators that they are using on a rotating basis to provide emergency power. In one case, they were able to provide power to a home-bound resident that required a four-hour kidney dialysis treatment.

McAffrie is also urging residents to use common sense. One man had to be taken by ambulance to Elliott Hospital after falling victim to carbon monoxide poisoning. According to McAffrie, the man had tried to heat his home using a generator operating in his garage. According to McAffrie, generators should always be operated outside the home.

Residents who plan on using the shelter at Londonderry High should bring a change of clothes, pillows, medication, toiletries and other comfort items. Anyone concerned about sheltering their pets should contact the Derry Police Department at 432-6111.

For more information, residents should tune their radio to 1610AM. Road closures in Derry will be posted on the town's Web site at www.derry.nh.us