Ellen Lockyer, KSKA – Anchorage
Power outages in Savoonga are being blamed on high winds and severe weather. The power went down four days ago, and as of Thursday, an estimated 80 homes are still without electricity, some frozen solid according to reports.
Biting cold has forced more than 100 people to take shelter in the local school, where supplies of food and essential items are running thin. Savoonga’s mayor has asked the American Red Cross for assistance, and today, an air shipment of emergency supplies left Anchorage for the St. Lawrence Island community by way of Nome, according to the Red Cross’s Katie Bender.
Meanwhile in Anchorage, Yaari Kingeekuk is concerned about her relatives and friends in her home town.
Kingeekuk is in touch with a niece in Savoonga through the social networking site Facebook. She says lack of power is only escalating damage
Alaska Village Electric Cooperative supplies power to Savoonga residents. Company officials say severe weather and below zero temperatures caused some power lines to freeze and slap against each other, which caused the initial outage. Crews are working to restore power. Kingeekuk says she’s trying to organize people to help Savoonga residents
Katie Bender, with the Red Cross, says financial donations can be made through the Red Cross website.
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