Still lacking power after a day and a half, residents south of Atlanta fired up their grills, warmed their hands near scented candles and bundled up with blankets as they waited Thursday for the lights to come on.
In Clayton County, one of the hardest-hit areas, residents were asking how long they’d have to wait while other parts of the metro Atlanta area had their power restored.
“I just wonder why there are no trucks in this area. It’s like they aren’t even trying around here,” said Demetrius Collins, who hadn’t had power since 7 a.m. on Wednesday, as he bought chips and drinks at a gas station.
At least 347,000 customers across the state were without power by early Thursday afternoon, and many of those outages were concentrated in pockets such as Riverdale.
Traffic lights were dark, and a few cars drive slowly and carefully down streets lined with closed stores. A handful of gas stations opened their doors to customers seeking snacks or cigarettes, but no fuel flowed.
“We’re just trying to find something to eat — just some snacks,” said Belinda Sean, a high school senior shopping at a darkened gas station in Riverdale. Power at her house had been out since 6 a.m. Wednesday.
In a nearby subdivision, Roosevelt Carter used his charcoal-fired grill to cook chicken and potatoes, a rare source of warmth because his house was no warmer than outside.
His cellphone batteries were dead, and he had been getting by with sandwiches and chips.
“If my lights come on, I’ll shout ‘Hallelujah!’” Carter said.
A few miles away, neighbors helped each other out as they waited for crews to clear a tree that had fallen across a power line.
Clifford James used his chainsaw to chop the ends of the downed tree into firewood while clearing a path through the street in the process. As he worked, a utility crew pulled up to clear the power line.
“No one got hurt, the power company is here now, but we beat them to it,” James said.
Across the street, Teresa Dotson said her three children and three grandchildren spent their time talking together, which was a change of pace from their usual routine of toying with electronics or watching TV.
They cooked grits, eggs and teriyaki chicken on a gas stove, and they kept warm with a gas fireplace
“We usually don’t have time to talk because we all live busy lives,” she said.
After being without power since 9 a.m. Wednesday, Dotson wondered if utility contractors were doing their best to reach the people who needed power.
“Maybe they are doing the best they can, but sometimes people want to stretch it out,” she said.
As the afternoon wore on, the snow and ice melted from the roads, but many residents were waiting for the warmth of their home heating systems and computer screens.
They said automated recordings from their power company didn’t give them much of a clue when power would be restored.
“If the power stays out much longer, we’re going to have to start playing cards,” Dotson said.
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