Northeast Ice storm - everyone OK?
I'm not sure who on here may be in the area involved?
An ice storm has made a mess of things from Maine to Pennsylvania.
Officials say the storm has knocked out power to 1.25 million homes and businesses, closed schools and tied up travel in several states.
The storm brought rain, freezing rain, sleet and snow through Thursday night, and in some areas the miserable mix was continuing Friday.
For New Hampshire, the power outages even dwarfed those during the infamous Ice Storm of 1998, when some residents spent more than a week in the dark.
Fire departments were responding to reports of transformer explosions, wires and utility poles down and trees falling on homes. Utility crews were so busy dealing with public safety hazards like live power lines that they weren't immediately able to begin repairs.
The governors of Massachusetts and New Hampshire declared states of emergency Friday morning.
"This is pathetic," said Bob Cott, in Portland, Maine, who lost power for the first time in 10 years. "I'm already sick of winter and we have nine days to go before it officially begins."
In Hampstead, N.H., Mark Cegelis, 36, said things were hectic at his neighbourhood gas station, which was jammed with people trying to get fuel for home generators.
"It's kind of lawless out there right now. There's a lot of people very frustrated, stacking up at the gas stations. It's pretty ugly."
He bought some 200 litres for himself and tried to deliver some to some friends in Derry, N.H., but couldn't get there because of downed trees blocking roads. So his friends came to him instead, and were expected to hunker down until power was restored.
The ice storm extended to Pennsylvania, where about 4,700 customers, most of them in the Poconos, lost power, and Connecticut, where some 16,500 customers were without electricity at midday.
In most areas in those states, though, the big storm system left its mark in the form of heavy rain or rain changing to snow.
Gov. Deval Patrick's emergency declaration in Massachusetts would enable the governor to take further steps, such as mobilizing the National Guard, if needed as the day wore on, officials said.
In eastern New York, particularly around Albany, the state capital, outages at National Grid and other utilities brought the total in the state to more than 255,000.
"Trees were down on all the roads," said Miguel Figueroa, 28, as he waited for coffee at a Starbucks in Colonie, N.Y. "... I couldn't even get on the Thruway today."
Central Maine Power Co. said more than 190,000 customers in the dark as of late Friday morning, mostly in southern and coastal areas. Bangor Hydro Electric Co. reported more than 11,000 outages.
Maine Gov. John Baldacci declared a limited emergency allowing utility crews to work longer hours.
In Vermont, 25,800 customers were without power Friday morning. Several centimetres of snow, caked with ice toppled trees onto roads and power lines.
At least 20 Massachusetts towns declared local states of emergency even before the governor made the state-wide declaration.
"Stay home if you live in Holden; don't come to Holden if you work here," Holden, Mass., fire Chief Jack Chandler said.
The entire town was without power and some senior citizens on oxygen were transported to a hospital or a shelter opened at the town's senior centre.
Video of the ice storm:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/n...,3491937.story
