Ice-laden power lines near Conception Bay North, N.L., on Saturday. About 7,000 customers remained without power in northeastern Newfoundland on Sunday after a severe ice storm hit the area Friday. (Newfoundland Power/Canadian Press)

About 7,000 people in eastern Newfoundland were still without power Sunday after a major storm swept through the region two days ago, and many may not have electricity again until Tuesday.

Freezing rain and high winds knocked down scores of power lines, cutting electricity to 32 communities on the Bonavista Peninsula and 22 in the northern Avalon Peninsula.

Power lines started coming down on Friday afternoon as the storm lashed the eastern half of the island.

Newfoundland Power has told the people in several communities, including Old Perlican, Sweet Bay and Hodderville, that it may be Tuesday morning before power is restored.

Newfoundland Power said it's doing its best to restore service — power has been restored to about 1,000 households — but it added it won't be easy to repair about 250 lines and transmission structures that were damaged by the ice. That's up from an earlier assessment of 100 downed poles.

On Sunday evening, the power company set up a portable generating system to give some customers access to electricity on a rotating basis.

The Red Cross has set up temporary shelters for anyone who needs them, and they will remain in place until the power is fully restored.

By Sunday morning, the worst of the storm was over, but roads could remain slippery because temperatures were expected to remain around the freezing mark, said CBC meteorologist Kalin Mitchell.

"One of the big problems with [the storm] was it was just so slow-moving," he said. "It was basically a 48-hour event."

"Those affected dealt with some heavy snowfall as well as extensive periods of freezing rain, especially up near Gander, as well as Bonavista," he said.

St. John's received mostly rain from the storm system.

With files from The Canadian Press