Electricity restored only in some areas…not even able to buy Christmas groceries
Five people died in the eastern coastal area. Floods also pile up trash.
As strong winter storms and flooding occur in the New England region, including the eastern U.S. state of Maine, residents are facing difficulties due to power outages ahead of Christmas.
Megan Michaud, 42, and her family of five in Kennebunkport, Portland, Maine, told an Associated Press reporter they were worried ahead of Christmas after being without power for three days after a winter storm swept through the area.
“This morning I heard my second-grader say there were five days left until Christmas and I thought this was too much,” she said. She said that this was because, regardless of whether it was raining or the electricity was out, the dates on the calendar passed by without mercy, making it difficult to even prepare ingredients for the family’s Christmas dinner in the dark, let alone prepare gifts.
Due to the power outage, he managed to heat part of the house with a gas fireplace in the bitter cold and went back and forth between his parents’ house nearby and his own house to wait for the electricity to be restored. Finally, on the evening of the 20th, the electricity came back on and he started working.
This scene is happening almost all over northern New England. It is rare for such a strong winter storm to hit New England during the Christmas season, so the damage was even greater.
Hundreds of thousands of homes in Maine were plunged into darkness due to power outages, and even ski resorts, roads, and bridges were closed, leaving residents unable to buy groceries or shop.
Power has been restored to some areas, but power companies say some people will have to wait until Christmas Day before they can use it.
South Berwick resident Jessica Hyland said her electricity was finally back, but she still couldn’t even dream of buying a Christmas tree or preparing a Christmas meal.
This storm brought heavy rain until the 20th and caused significant damage to the area from Pennsylvania to Maine. In some areas, river levels rose, causing flooding and severe damage in Vermont and Maine.
In flooded areas, trash piled up even after the water receded, increasing the risk of spending Christmas Day clearing away trash piled up to 18 meters high.
At least five people were reported dead from the storm in Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts.
[포틀랜드( 미 메인주)= AP/뉴시스]
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.