Tuesday, December 11, 2007
News: Fierce Ice Storms Cause Mass Blackout
At least 17 people have died and more than 600,000 were left without power as freezing conditions and a vicious ice storm swept the US.
Power lines and tree branches snapped under the weight of ice, which was up to an inch thick in the worst-hit region of Oklahoma.
Schools were closed and some hospitals were forced to rely on backup power generators following blackouts.
Meanwhile, shelters were opened throughout the region for those driven from their cold, dark homes
"This particular storm is now the worst in company history in terms of customers affected," said Brian Alford, spokesman for Oklahoma Gas and Electric.
Crews were sent from Texas, Louisiana, Indiana and Mississippi to help repair power lines, which snapped as quickly as they could be repaired.
Ice-slicked roads contributed to the deaths of 15 people in Oklahoma during the weekend, state officials said.
One homeless man died of hypothermia and a motorist was killed when he stopped to help another driver and was hit by a car skidding on ice.
Many major roads were closed and hundreds of flights were cancelled at major airports in Chicago, Kansas City, St Louis and Oklahoma City.
As power companies warn it could take a week to restore all power, the US National Weather Service warned another icy blast was on its way.
Power lines and tree branches snapped under the weight of ice, which was up to an inch thick in the worst-hit region of Oklahoma.Schools were closed and some hospitals were forced to rely on backup power generators following blackouts.
Meanwhile, shelters were opened throughout the region for those driven from their cold, dark homes
"This particular storm is now the worst in company history in terms of customers affected," said Brian Alford, spokesman for Oklahoma Gas and Electric.
Crews were sent from Texas, Louisiana, Indiana and Mississippi to help repair power lines, which snapped as quickly as they could be repaired.
Ice-slicked roads contributed to the deaths of 15 people in Oklahoma during the weekend, state officials said.One homeless man died of hypothermia and a motorist was killed when he stopped to help another driver and was hit by a car skidding on ice.
Many major roads were closed and hundreds of flights were cancelled at major airports in Chicago, Kansas City, St Louis and Oklahoma City.
As power companies warn it could take a week to restore all power, the US National Weather Service warned another icy blast was on its way.
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