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Families flee freezing homes
13/12/2007 14:27 - (SA)
Oklahoma City - Power was restored to thousands as utility crews struggled to repair power lines snapped by the winter storm that encrusted the country's midsection in ice and was blamed for at least 32 deaths.
On Wednesday, Oklahoma - which was hardest hit - still had a half million homes and businesses without power, and utility officials warned it could take a week to 10 days to get electricity fully restored.
President George W. Bush issued an emergency disaster declaration on Wednesday, which authorises the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide financial assistance to help the state clean up.
Dozens of shelters in churches and community centres offered food and a warm place to sleep, especially for the poor, the elderly and families with young children who had nowhere else to go.
Many of those without power chose to stay home and deal with the frigid conditions.
"I have a gas stove. It won't get the house warm, but it warms up the kitchen a little bit," said Kennette Hughes, who has been without power since Monday. "As long as I'm in bed, I'm pretty warm. I've got a down comforter, and I'm wearing a sweat shirt, sweat pants, turtleneck and socks and leggings."
Sunshine ahead
Forecasters predicted sunshine and temperatures between 4 and 10 degrees Celsius for Thursday. But on Wednesday, authorities were still cleaning up broken branches, toppled power lines and slick roads. Another 229 000 utility customers were still blacked out in Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska.
The 32 deaths included 21 in Oklahoma, four in Kansas, three each in Missouri and Michigan and one in Nebraska.
Most of the fatalities were the result of traffic accidents on icy roads, but carbon monoxide was blamed for the death of an Oklahoma City woman and a northeast Oklahoma man who were trying to heat their homes with generators, authorities said.
More than 70 people have been treated for carbon dioxide poisoning in Oklahoma City and Tulsa.
Two men and a woman died early Wednesday in a house fire in Oklahoma City that investigators believe was caused by an open-flame heater. In Tulsa, a 68-year-old man died in an apartment blaze caused by open flames for used cooking.
There were also dozens of reports of house fires caused by falling branches knocking live power wires onto homes.
In the Tulsa suburb of Sand Springs, residents piled on blankets, collected branches from lawns for kindling and broke out camping lanterns.
Lanny Gibbs wondered if the power would be restored faster if his neighbours had more political clout.
"I'm hoping there's a senator or an attorney or a doctor that lives here," Gibbs said.
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