CHARLOTTE COURT HOUSE, Va – Hundreds of people in Southside are going on nearly two weeks without power after the area was hit hard by winter storms.
On Tuesday, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam visited the area to assess the damage.
Utility workers in Southside have been working around the clock to restore electricity to thousands of people following one of the worst ice storms the area has ever seen.
“The first storm, which was really bad I’ve never seen ice like that, and the power went off. So right now, as of today, we’ve been out without power 11 days,” said Marian Bouldin, who lives in Charlotte County.
Northam spent time with some of the crews who have been working long shifts in dangerous conditions.
“We feel that pain and so we want to make sure that these individuals know we’re doing everything that we can to help them get their power back on and it’s just so important, especially during the time of this pandemic,” Northam said.
Bouldin is one of many people in the Charlotte Court House area who has been without power for almost two weeks.
“I’m just frustrated. I just want the power to come back on and somebody find out what’s going on or give us a date so we can prepare, you know, it’s just been stressful,” Bouldin said.
And with the power not expected to be returned until the weekend for some customers, Northam said there is a lesson to be learned for future storms.
“This has been very, very difficult to have a look, you know we are all used to electricity and to have it go for a day is bad enough but when it when it goes for, you know, weeks, that’s devastating and also very costly,”
The state is also working with FEMA to help those still without power from the storm