PENSACOLA, Fla. – Gov. Jeb Bush toured the devastated city of Pensacola on Friday, the Day after Ivan, to see firsthand the fury unleashed by the deadly hurricane.

The storm left hundreds of thousands without power, shattered infrastructure and killed at least 38 in the United States – 14 in the Sunshine State alone. The storm also claimed at least 70 lives in the Caribbean before crossing the Gulf of Mexico.

The storm’s remnants were dissipating over the southern Appalachians on Friday as another threat gathered strength. Tropical Storm Jeanne looms in the Atlantic on a track toward the southeastern United States – and, possibly, Florida, which has been pummeled by three killer hurricanes in little more than a month.

“Too many people lost their lives because of these devastating storms,” said the governor.

The local CBS affiliate planned to show the season premier of “Survivor” on Friday night – pre-empted Thursday for coverage of Ivan. But residents needed no guidance on survival and many would not see the show. More than 1.8 million homes and businesses were without power Friday in areas affected by the storm.

Gulf Power officials said it could be three weeks before electricity is restored to everyone in the devastated region. Officials said priority is being given in places that will most assist public safety before the public’s comfort can be looked to.

Gov. Bush toured an evacuation center in Pensacola that housed about 2,000 people. He assured dazed but optimistic Pensacola residents that “they will be seeing convoys of immediate relief.”

National Guardsmen have been deployed, and the Red Cross began setting up “comfort stations” to distribute food and water. Search and rescue crews continued searching for survivors – and counting the dead – in the region’s hardest hit areas.

Still, for residents lining up at convenience stores and supermarkets around Pensacola, the awakening commerce was a sign that life would somehow return to normal.

Traffic lights were out throughout the region. National Guardsmen directed the growing traffic volume at the busiest intersections. Donna Weidner, who stopped at a local hardware store, said that for the most part, her fellow residents have been courteous and helpful during the crisis.

“It’s not a frantic pace,” she observed. “It’s not people grabbing and running and butting in line. People are just friendly and nice, talking about how things are going. The only thing I really wish we could get is ice and water.”

Officials have reported some looting, though it does not appear to be widespread. Police were stationed in front of some business.

“Store’s closed!” yelled one officer to the people gathering at one Albertson’s supermarket in Pensacola. Radio reports had been announcing all morning that another Albertson’s, a few miles away, would open at noon. That store had thousands of people in the parking lot before its doors opened.

Although officials have praised the preparations that residents made as Ivan approached, and credited orderly evacuations with saving lives, Mark Labadie said it was hard to know beforehand just how hard Ivan would make life.

“We didn’t expect this to be this bad,” he said. “We thought it was going to skirt us.”

Up until the last hours before Ivan’s landfall early Thursday morning, forecasters had predicted it would strike Mobile Bay, Ala. But then the storm jutted slightly eastward, missing the bay and unleashing its most destructive winds on the greater Pensacola area to the east.

So that’s why Pensacola residents were so glad to see signs of normalcy.

“It’s been pretty chaotic,” said Mike Kader, 35, the owner of the Smoke and Snack convenience store in Pensacola. “A lot of customers want ice. No ice. No batteries. We have a few canned goods.”

Robert Balbach, 38, of Pensacola, was in line at the store for a couple cartons of cigarettes. He’d run out and was feeling the beginnings of nicotine withdrawal.

“It helps everyone if they open up, sell what they can,” he said. “People need things.

“You don’t want a bunch of people without their cigarettes,” he added.

“We’re worried about looters,” Kader said, ringing up a sale. “That’s probably why we’re open today – so we can sell everything before they loot it.”