Storms in Europe kill at least 18

LONDON -- Northern Europe struggled Tuesday to repair the damage from hurricane-force winds that swept over the continent, as the death toll from the vicious storm rose to 18.

The storm ripped roofs off building, disrupted traffic and shipping and left thousands of homes without power. It tore through Britain and Ireland before lashing Scandinavia, Germany, Poland and Russia.

In Scotland, rescue workers on Tuesday found a lone climber who survived a night of 140 mph winds on Lairig An Laoigh mountain. Peter Deacon, 38, said he heard about the approaching storm on his radio and managed to get to a stone hut before it hit.

"I knew I couldn't move any farther because I couldn't even stand up in the wind, so I just basically stayed up there all Monday night," Deacon told reporters Tuesday.

Thousands of homes and businesses in northern England and Scotland still had no electricity on Tuesday after the storm ripped down lines.