Storms Down Trees, Power Lines as Temperatures Reach Triple Digits
Several states are reporting deaths, power outages, and record-breaking temperatures as summer storms ravage the Mid-Atlantic area of the country.
Netflix, Instagram, and Pinterest weren't the only victims of a power outage: 1.5 million people in the Washington D.C. area are now without power, which is particularly dangerous given the triple-digit temperatures.
The power outage was caused by 80 mph winds that knocked over trees and power lines. Pepco spokesman Myra Oppel said the problem, which has affected 400,000 Pepco customers, would not be easily resolved.
We have more than half our system down. This is definitely going to be a multi-day outage.
In Ohio, another million people are also currently without power. Yesterday West Virginia governor Earl Ray Tomblin declared a state of emergency after 500,000 residents lost power. Virginia and Ohio have declared states of emergency as well.
Meanwhile, the excessive heat — 25 states will see temperatures of 100 degrees or above — will affect 47 million people. There have been several deaths thought to be caused by the extreme temperatures. Two young boys in Tennessee died after playing outside, and three Kansas City residents, including a baby, died on Friday.
Other storm-related deaths have nothing to do with the heat. Falling trees have killed six people in Virginia, one person in Maryland, and two people in New Jersey.
The current death toll from the storm is unclear, as the deaths from excessive heat are still speculative. Of course, it's best to stay cool — but with air conditioning unavailable for millions of people in the affected areas, that's easier said than done.
[Image via AP]