Grand Lake Area Residents Deal With No Power And Lots Of Ice

Several thousand Grand Lake area residents are still feeling the impact of the storm. News on 6 reporter Heather Lewin talked with residents in the Langley area trying to cope. <br/><br/>The roads across

Monday, January 15th 2007, 10:40 am

By: News On 6

Several thousand Grand Lake area residents are still feeling the impact of the storm. News on 6 reporter Heather Lewin talked with residents in the Langley area trying to cope.

The roads across rural Mayes County were much better Monday, but thousands of people are still without power and water, many since Friday when the storm first hit.

It's day 4 without electricity or running water for this Pensacola family. "This is the worst I've seen it out here," says Debbie Ducummon. A borrowed generator is just about the only thing keeping the below freezing temperatures outside the Ducummon's mobile home. "We lost electric, it comes on now and then about an hour or two then we lose it again and we haven't had no water since Friday," says her husband Donald.

A propane-fueled heater warms the living room, where the two watch for the latest updates. Ducummon is hopeful after having to drive nearly 10 miles on icy roads to buy water.

Gas is also at a premium in many rural areas. With electricity restored in nearby Langley, the pumps were swamped with people filling up cars and containers to run home generators.

Like many areas hit by the storm, the biggest problem is downed trees and power lines buckling under the weight of thick, heavy ice.

Residents are coping the best they can with generators and bottled water, but for some, supplies are running out. "Like most businesses in this area, we're sold completely out of water,â€ according Langley store manager Charley Scott. One woman had to settle for fruit flavored water saying it was better than nothing. "It's water, candles, lamp oil, Coleman fuel and of course rock salt and stuff like that. Everybody's after the same thing and needless to say, you just can't anticipate the demand for something like that."

The store hopes to be restocked by Tuesday, and that's when rural districts there hope to have running water restored to many customers. In the meantime, people say their biggest challenge is just keeping warm.