Businesses closed, flights canceled as residents in nation's northeast wait for punishing storm

Tens of millions of people along the US East Coast hunkered down for a storm that for most failed to live up to predictions that it would be one of the worst they'd ever seen.

Forecasters originally said the storm could bring about a meter of snow and punishing hurricane-force winds. But early Tuesday, they downgraded most of those numbers, saying the northeastern US would fare the worst, but even then not as bad as expected.