SHAFAQNA (Shia News Association) —Amid scorching heat, power remains cut to nearly 1.3 million homes and businesses in the eastern United States.
Twenty-three people have been killed in violent weekend storms and days of record heat since Friday, Reuters reported on Tuesday.
Utility companies have said that power is unlikely to be restored to some of the 1.3 million homes and businesses from Illinois to Virginia for the rest of the week.
The utility companies are grappling with power outages in ten states and the District of Columbia.
Washington Mayor Vincent Gray expressed frustration with the slow pace of repairs.
"We have had power outage after power outage in the District of Columbia. Frankly, the people are just fed up with it. I don't have any power in my own home," Gray was quoted as saying.
Washington is reportedly distributing food to people who cannot cook at home.
The power outages have forced many Fourth of July celebrations across the region to be canceled as local governments deal with damage from the strong winds and with heat wave and drought conditions that make firework shows hazardous.— www.shafaqna.com/english/
