State of Emergency Declared in Carolinas as Crews Race to Restore Power
Friday: Crews work to restore power in Salisbury, N.C.
CONCORD, N.C. — The governors of North and South Carolina declared states of emergency Friday afternoon due to increasing power outages and severe icing conditions in their states, which took the brunt of the storm that swept across the East Coast earlier this week.
Ten thousand utility workers were racing to restore power Friday to nearly 1.5 million people across the Carolinas. Workers have poured in from across the South to help battle the ice, which continued to send tree limbs crashing onto power lines, some of which had already been repaired once.
"We come up here, work a little overtime, help the folks get the lights back on before Christmas," said Bobby Brinkman of Sarasota, Fla.-based Pike Electric.
North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley, explaining the post-storm emergency declaration, said he was worried too many people were choosing to ride out the cold. Only 1,600 people stayed in 56...