Kentucky Hardest Hit By Deadly Ice Storm

State Asks Obama To Speed Federal Aid As Hundreds Of Thousands Still Without Power; Nationwide Death Toll Now 55

(CBS/AP)  Almost half a million homes and businesses are still without power after last week's ice storm that has left 55 people dead.

The hardest hit state was Kentucky, where CBS News correspondent Hari Sreenivasan reports every National Guard member in the state has been called into service - 4,600 strong. They are checking on rural residents door by door.

It's the worst natural disaster in the state's history.

More than 5,000 utility workers have been working around the clock, there are still more than 255,000 people without power, Sreenivasan reports.

In neighboring Arkansas, 119,000 are in the dark. The ice storm's devastation reaches into Indiana, Ohio, Oklahoma and Missouri, where about 44,000 homes and businesses remain without power.

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear is asking President Barack Obama to speed up federal aid dollars as costs spiral past $45 million for emergency work to restore power, hand out water and food and clear debris across the state.

Beshear raised his state's death toll to 24 on Monday. He said in a letter to Mr. Obama that 10 of the deaths were from carbon monoxide poisoning and at least nine others from hypothermia.

Mr. Obama signed federal emergency declarations last week for Kentucky, Arkansas and Missouri after ice and snow blamed for power outages that peaked at 1.3 million customers from the Southern Plains to the East Coast.

Gov. Beshear said he would ask the president to upgrade the federal response by declaring a major disaster, which would open the door for immediate financial assistance. The current disaster declaration provides for federal assistance with material, such as generators and bottled water being distributed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The Democratic governor said the tab for the cleanup already exceeded $45 million, the threshold for receiving a major disaster declaration. "That number may well increase," Beshear told The Associated Press.

Near Crayne, Ky., Bill and Gwen Wilson have been living without power for a week now, Sreenivasan reports. They wear their coats around a natural gas fireplace for warmth, and use a barbeque grill in the tool shed for a stove.

"It may not be a perfect meal but we have a meal," Gwen said.

But she is on her last tank of the oxygen that she needs at night, Sreenivasan reports.

"It's all right, I'm still breathing," she said.

Kentucky had the most power outages last week, a state record of 700,000 customers. By Sunday night, the figure had dropped to less than half that. Still, it could be weeks before some people have power again.

"It's going to be a long haul for us," Beshear said Sunday as he toured hard-hit areas in and around Elizabethtown. "We've thrown everything we have at it. We're going to continue to do that until everyone is back in their homes and back on their feet."

In Arkansas, many residents in the northern part of the state will spend another week without electricity as utility crews work to replace thousands of poles and eventually work house to house to restore power.

In Kentucky, thousands of National Guard troops, some wielding chain saws, cleared debris from roads and rolled through neighborhoods in Humvees to deliver chili and stew to relieved residents.

"The kids were looking out the windows and yelling, 'Yay! We're saved!"' said Bryan Bowling, 30, who's been hunkering down with 18 people next to a fireplace inside his generator-powered home in rural Grayson county, some 90 miles southwest of Louisville.

"It's just good to know that people care," said Bowling, who has a 7-year-old and a 4-year-old.

Emergency generators were in demand, and 52-year-old David Strange was out Sunday installing the units at rural homes in west Kentucky. Strange bought 200 generators and was selling them for markups of around $50 to $100, including delivery down remote country lanes, earning the nickname "the generator man."

His customers included an elderly couple fearful they couldn't run a dialysis machine. "I just don't know how to put what he's done for us into words," said Janeen Timmons, 62, the dialysis patient.

By Sunday night, 93 of Kentucky's 120 counties along with 71 cities had declared a state of emergency, according to Monica French, a spokeswoman for the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management.

The 4,600 soldiers Beshear ordered on duty, including his entire Army National Guard, swept through the state distributing food and water, removing fallen trees, providing security and checking houses in hard-to-reach areas.

In Hardinsburg, one door-to-door check of houses without electricity is being credited for saving the lives of an elderly couple. The Kentucky National Guard said in a press release that two airmen visited the couple's home Sunday and found the wife apparently confused and the husband complaining of nausea.

Both were treated and released at a hospital. Authorities said carbon monoxide levels were more than twice what is considered lethal, and blamed the poisoning on a faulty gas furnace.

Diana Burba was among thousands of people who received cases of bottled water from the National Guard. Burba has no power, and she can't drink the muck coming out of her faucet.

"It's like muddy water comes out," Burba said in her Bonnieville mobile home.

"You don't know how much you depend on it," she said of amenities like clean water and electricity. "When you don't have it, life kind of halts."

The troops, utility workers and good-natured civilians took advantage of temperatures near 50 across much of the region to make headway on repairs. The National Weather Service warned the melt could cause some flooding, but temperatures could dip back into the 20s and teens by Monday night.

[vasmar-2009]

So why did it take so long to for the governments to get involved (State and Federal)? Media shows that FEMA is involved but have not seen much except on their website? I see neighboring states and National Guard. Is FEMA in Kentucky helping?

[mandinky]

I cant believe most of you aholes are finding comedy in our tragedy. We have not had power or heat in 8 days nor do we know when we will. I dont know anyone in our area that votes republican. And what does it matter if we did. We DO NOT DESERVE THIS! I hope you people who think this is funny in anyway get what you deserve. Maybe you should have to look at your children and know that they have to be cold and hungry and bored and that theres not alot you can do about it except to expose them to carbon monoxide just to not freeze to death.

[al2008-2009]

I%u2019m appalled at the governor%u2019s lack of response to the global warming blizzards, hail, snow, and ice storms in Hopkins County.
We have no comprehensive strategy in place whatsoever, let alone a detailed plan of action to mitigate these storms, and mother earth continues to suffer while the governor%u2019s office refuses to go forward and do what%u2019s right for our mother.

How long must we sit idly by while our mother continues to suffer from the warming taking place at a feverish pace? How long must our mother suffer before we have proper c02 taxes put into place? How long must we wait until we beef up corn ethanol production? How long must the destruction of mother earth take place before we finally put responsible progressive plans into action? At least President Obama%u2019s plan calls for cutting c02 pollution by 80% and eliminating greenhouse gases from our cars; he is definitely our best hope at solving our climate crisis.
.
We the people call upon the governor to implement a comprehensive antiglobal warming strategy at once and work in coordination with state and federal officials; these storms continue to worsen and the quicker we stop the warming the sooner we will see these storms cease. We need action now

[ladybugjr8]

I just have to say for all those people who have a cold heart and could care less until it happens to you just shut the F up. I live in Kentucky and had to travel to the middle of Missouri (500mile around trip) just to find sources of heat...like heats that run off of gas. It doesn''t matter who the president is.... or what color his skin is He should help out every state just the same. I have sit in my cold house for a week now, and the power just came back on today. However, there are still hundreds of people around me who don''t have any power yet. For all of you who have been through a disaster I now know the depth of the stress and worrying that comes along with it all. I pray for all of those still w/out power. For everyone who is bad mouthing Kentucky for whatever reason you will have your Judgement Day to come!!!!! God Bless all of those who have helped us in our time of need!!!!!

[shelleree]

I HOPE ALL YOU PEOPLE SITTING HERE MAKING SUCH RUDE REMARKS, GET JUST WHAT YOU WISH ON US HERE IN KENTUCKY . YOU SIT AND SCREAM THE WORLD OWES YOU , AND JUST BECAUSE WE WORK FOR A LIVING AND WANT TO KEEP OUR PAY CHECK. YOU THINK WE DESERVE YOUR RUDE COMMENTS ....GET A LIFE ! YOU MAY BE NEXT ! WHAT KIND OF WRATH WILL YOU RECIEVE ? AND YOU WONDER WHY WE ARE IN THE SHAPE WE ARE NOW AS A NATION ? BECAUSE NO ONE EVEN KNOWS HOW TO OPEN THEIR MOUTH WITHOUT ANGER AND HATRED SPEWING OUT OF IT ! NO ONE EVEN KNOWS HOW TO RESPECT OR LOVE ANYONE OR ANYTHING AND YOU ALL ARE PROUD TO SHOW IT ! GOD BLESS US ALL ..WE ARE GOING TO NEED IT !

[shelleree]

Im from Ky , I own my own buisness and have paid more sales tax since I have been 17 than most 50 year olds . So all you dumb a@@''s sitting here saying Ky is a welfare state Ect Ect...Why don''t you stereo type your own state ..Let me help you get started . Your state has the largest population of IDIOTS with NO I.Q If your a ******* and don''t want to think or have any responsibility in life just come on over and join the crowd ! At Judgement Center ! And to ...this stupid comment

skyking_239,

I know it''''s tough. But, you have to help subsidize all those red states that don''''t pay their way. Places like Kentucky. Kentucky loves the socialist funds it sucks away from the Federal Gov''''t.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by Smirk22 at 08:55 PM : Feb 02, 2009

I say this for all of Kentuckian''s KISS OUR A@@
We pay our way and look at the past election Even Obama knew better than to try to convert us . Remember "WE CLING TO OUR GUN''S AND RELIGION"

[beckymagee27]

Sorry, the apostrophe was acting up.

[beckymagee27]

I''m from Kentucky and I just wanted to say that just because we are a majority republican state, doesn''t mean we don''t need help in a disaster. Plus, we also didn''t ask for all this help. It''s our democratic gov, Beshear, that is begging for Obama''s help, not the people. Oh, and I''ve never even heard of anyone marrying a relative. I love the stereotypes.

[ballpen1]

Don''t trust the government - no matter who''s in charge - to help you in case of a natural disaster.

Prepare yourself. Have enough food and water to survive a month (yes, 30 days, anything else is Bush league), have your medicine for that time, have some basic tools (axe, flashlight), have ways to generate heat and electricity (i just use a car battery on a trickle charger, this will be enough to power my cellphone and PDA during a crisis).

Test this equipment from time to time and rotate the perishables (that is, eat your oldest canned food and replace it). It is _unlikely_ that you will need it, but it helps you sleep at night, and in case something bad happens you can stay cool, calm and collected and wait for the infrastructure to return to normal.

YOU are responsible for your life and that of your family, not the government. Always remember Katrina and how quickly things went south back then!

[kyotrocks]

Try 5 days without power adding -1 degree temps at night. Sad to see the blame game and so little suggestions for help. Getting on the road to a motel (money for gas, hotel, food) or to a friend/family is still not an option for many! The county roads do not include generational "hollows" where many live. I left a home (while on the job) where the power just went out yesterday. It was 40 degrees, and the gentleman cannot leave his bed. To the hospital he goes as the lucky man lives only 13 miles out in the county and can be reached by rescue. Wake up please, we still need help! Thank heavens for folks helping each other, and those who have volunteered their time from other states!!!! Thinking of all other states in this mess and sending up prayers from KY.

[southbell62]

After reading all the comments here I was just wondering, all of you do realize Kentucky Governor Beshear is a DEMOCRAT, right?
But don''t worry, country folk can survive.

[ahumbleopini]

A few tax cuts should do the trick.

[louiville2]

Irena Sendlerowa lost the Nobel prize for peace to Al Gore.

Al Gore received it for a phony movie.

Irena risked her life smuggling out children in the Warsaw Ghetto.

Irena managed to smuggle out approximately 2,500 children before she was finally caught. When she was captured, the Nazis beat her severely, breaking both her arms and her legs.

Al Gore made 100 million dollars and has yet to personally save one life.

Ummm good choice%u2026%u2026not!

[smirk22-2009]

Michael Steele, the new RNC leader said today, "Not in the history of mankind has the government ever created a job." So, according to him, there is no FEMA that can come and help Kentucky. No one works there because no jobs can be created by government. And, now we know that no one in the military works at a job either.

[louiville2]

What happened to the intelligent people that used to comment on CBSNews?


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by beastcloud at 10:28 PM

Well it sure isn''t coming from you LOL

"it''''s clear to see the old white men in these posts. be more obvious.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by beastcloud at 10:35 PM "

[Gorevidal]

it''s clear to see the old white men in these posts. be more obvious.

[smirk22-2009]

"Oh but his buddy Ahmadinejad will let the black embassy folks go like last time."

Your hero, Ronnie Raygun, traded missiles to Iran to get hostages released in Lebanon. Never forget this amazing move of appeasement.

[mihann]

Maybe the socialist Obama will speed up the quickly needed 45 million. He doesn''t mind spending a trillion on worthless other projects like honeybee research, etc..

[jsd330]

Better to go back to the Carter years then the Reagan years, with his service economy. And that''s what we''ve got a service economy, since Bush 1 and 2 followed their hero the "B" movie cowboy''s idea''s.

[ubrew12]

skyking_239 said: "That 10% is just the first in what is sure to be a four year gutting of our defenses"

God, I hope so. We shouldn''t be spending more than $300 billion a year on defense (which is where it was when Bush became prez). Bush increased it to $600 billion a year (if you include the cost of the wars and homeland security dept): which is about $300 billion of welfare for ''cold warriors'' we just cannot afford.