Officials: Outages may last for days
The thaw today could jeopardize restored service
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Three days after a massive ice storm struck New England, more than 300,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts and New Hampshire remained without power yesterday, and the outage for many customers could last for days, state emergency officials said.
Even today's highly anticipated thaw - spurred by temperatures that are predicted to soar past 50 degrees - could cause more problems as once frozen bentover trees spring back to their full height, potentially knocking down newly restored power lines, the officials warned.
Top state leaders, including New Hampshire Governor John Lynch, pleaded with residents yesterday to take refuge in emergency shelters, hotels, or the homes of family and friends, after temporary makeshift heating devices sparked fires in several homes in both states or overwhelmed households with carbon monoxide.
In Danville, N.H., Larry Jenkins 49, died after carbon monoxide filled a recreational vehicle being heated by a gas-powered generator with a blocked exhaust pipe, a state official said yesterday.
Several other residents in New Hampshire and Massachusetts were taken to local hospitals to be treated for carbon monoxide poisoning.
The absence of electricity along with fallen trees and downed power lines - often covered in ice and blocking many roadways - prompted local officials in dozens of communities in both states to cancel school today.
"There is no projection when everything will be back in place," said Peter Judge, spokesman for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. "We are talking days more than hours at this point. . . . Our biggest problem is the huge amount of debris out there.
"Crews are still clearing roads with chain saws. The secondary roads in many communities are not passable enough to get bucket trucks up."
Over the weekend, President Bush declared a state of emergency in at least nine Massachusetts counties, stretching from Suffolk to Berkshires, and for much of New Hampshire.
About half of the Granite State was in the dark at the height of the outage on Friday, and roughly half of those were still without power yesterday. It was the biggest ice storm in the region in the past decade.
More than 1,900 Massachusetts residents have sought refuge in about 60 shelters across the state, particularly in hard hit areas around Worcester and Fitchburg, while 1,300 Granite State residents have gone to shelters. Both states experienced increases in shelter attendance Saturday night, as temperatures remained below freezing.
In Gardner, where streets yesterday were lined with collapsed and splintered frozen trees, more than 250 residents without electricity spent the night at the middle school on Saturday, and many of them were still there yesterday afternoon.
The cafeteria and main hall of the middle school were crowded with cots. National Guard members strolled through the school, assisting the elderly and carrying belongings. Children made new companions, played cards, and watched movies projected onto a screen.
"It's kind of sad for some people, but happy because there's no school," said Brian Connolly, 13, who has spent most of his time playing basketball in the school's gym.
Sarah Blair, a single mother who works at Wal-Mart, brought her two young girls to the shelter Friday after a tree limb crashed onto the roof of her youngest daughter's room.
"It's pretty scary because I don’t know what damage is done," said Blair, 35. "It's not devastating, just frustrating, and a little hurtful this time of year."
The majority of the shelter's habitants were elderly, many of whom were making the best of their time yesterday afternoon by chatting in small groups and spending time with younger residents.
"Oh my goodness. I'm 80 years old, and this is the first time I've gone to a shelter in my life," said Betty Richards, a widow who arrived with her 85-year-old neighbor. "But I've made great friends here."
The school superintendent is preparing to keep the middle school open as a makeshift shelter until enough power is restored in the neighborhood and has already decided to cancel school through Wednesday.
Marlborough officials yesterday continued to investigate the death of Kevin Connolly, a 19-year employee of the city's public works department who was last seen early Friday morning supervising workers removing fallen tree limbs during the storm.
The body of Connolly, 50, of Hudson, was found Saturday afternoon in the Sudbury Reservoir, about 1.4 miles downstream from where his truck had been discovered. The truck was abandoned with the driver's side door open early Friday in the Department of Public Works parking lot near a river embankment, said Tim Connolly, a spokesman for the Worcester district attorney, who is not related.
Officials were unsure about circumstances leading to his death, but Sergeant Richard Gaudette of the Marlborough Police Department said the river may have been overflowing at the time of the storm.
Fire officials battled a series of storm-related fires in northern Worcester County this weekend, including a string of four fires in the town of Holden, according to Stephen D. Coan, the state fire marshal. Coan said that all the fires were accidental, caused by residents trying to keep warm by using fireplaces and candles.
Emergency officials in Derry, N.H., believe a house fire early yesterday morning was caused by an overused fireplace.
Derry was among the hardest hit towns in New Hampshire. At the peak, about 90 percent of households were without power, prompting local fire fighters, police officers, and National guardsmen to go door to door, making sure inhabitants were safe while encouraging them to go to shelters set up in neighboring Londonderry and Salem.
Along several of the town's winding country roads, thick coats of ice kept trees and snapped power lines entangled, making them impossible to fix.
At one of the town's fire stations, a hand-written sign made of cardboard advertised "Potable water." John Magaletta and his son, Michael, 15, swung by to pick up 20 gallons, which they said they intended to use for their toilet. They were also heating their home with a wood stove.
Magaletta said the lack of electricity had prompted the family to tackle some household chores that tend to get put off. "We disinfected the fridge," said Magaletta, noting the family has been keeping all perishable goods in coolers outside.
His son, Michael, said he was initially frustrated that he could not play video games or watch television, but said he has learned to keep busy by reading more and playing board games. "It's got me thinking there is a little more to life," he said.
Neighbors, they noted, have been helping each other out more, but the father wondered for how long.
"You have one of these situations and everyone comes together," the elder Magaletta said. "Then all of a sudden the power goes on - the TV is running and the computer is running - and you go back to your old world and your old ways."
Globe correspondents John M. Guilfoil, Benjamin J Paulin, and Matt Collette contributed to this report.
