| 1m struggle without power in sweltering Washington |
WASHINGTON Power utilities and regulators alike blame downed trees as the main culprit for power outages across the US capital region this week, but the area’s love affair with a green canopy shows no signs of abating.
Nearly a million people in the Washington area remained without power and baked in searing heat on Tuesday after a brief but violent windstorm known as a ‘derecho’ hit the region on Friday night.
Falling trees snapped power lines and companies struggled to get power back to many families, sweating again in sweltering conditions as the mercury soared back above 32 degrees Celcius.
Traditional barbeque events had to be re-arranged as partygoers looked for respite in cooling shelters.
The National Weather Service, meanwhile, warned of large hail and damaging winds in the Great Lakes region, especially in northern Minnesota, potentially throwing a wrench into festivities there. In Chicago, the sizzling heat could make this year’s holiday the hottest in a century.
Elsewhere, in arid areas such as the western state of Colorado where wildfires have been raging, community firework celebrations, an annual draw for young and old alike, were scrapped to avoid sparking more blazes that have left hundreds homeless.
The election heat was also intensifying as President Barack Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney sought to capitalize on the patriotic undertones of the day, which marks the 236th year of independence from British rule.
Obama held a naturalisation ceremony for active duty members in the White House mid-morning and was expected to host a barbeque complete with a concert and fireworks later in the day.
Despite the dire scenarios faced by many, large scale celebrations were still going forward in cities like New York and Boston where singer Jennifer Hudson was set to perform.
On the East Coast, tragedy struck when a cache of fireworks apparently accidentally exploded on the back porch of a family home in New Hampshire on Tuesday night, injuring nine people, including two young children with life-threatening injuries, according to Pelham, NH, firefighter Shawn Buckley.
The children, both under age four, were airlifted to Boston-area hospitals, according to Buckley.
Agencies
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