We had no idea until today that the
ice storms reported in New Hampshire had also hit Massachusetts and other states in the New England area. I had only heard a few snippets on NPR this weekend... and even this morning - when the story came on - I listened closely to see if those in MA had been affected, but NH was the only state mentioned and so I thought with relief my friends and family in the Mass. area had missed the devastating storms.
It wasn't until my sister-in-law, Nikki, IM'd Andy today that we learned the extent of the damage and power loss in their area. Luckily, Andy's brother, Ed, was in an area unaffected by power loss, so the whole family packed up and went over there (many others apparently headed to hotels).
Andy's dad stayed in the house to keep watch, and thankfully he remained safe and the house sustained no major damage. So they are now back home with power and heat restored... but still trying to track down other friends in the area and dealing with the aftermath of a statewide natural disaster.
Although the initial numbers of those without heat and power were in the millions, there still thousands without power or heat. President Bush has declared a formal disaster, and help has been arriving from across the country, along with much-needed federal aid.
Our family was incredibly fortunate, but I know many were not. For those families and individuals who suffered major losses or are still struggling to make it through to more a stable situation, I send my prayers and thoughts.
Stay warm, help one another, and be safe.
