Canadians helping down south

Thousands of power crews, some from this side of the border, have converged on Southeast Pennsylvania to help restore electricity to hundreds of thousands of homes. An ice and snow storm downed trees and power lines there Wednesday. Thousands are left without heat in freezing temperatures. Here’s the latest from Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

Five thousand power linemen are going street by street in Pennsylvania’s Delaware Valley, bringing the power back on to nearly 400-thousand customers. They’re working 16 hour shifts. Some have come from as far away from Canada and Chicago. Governor Tom Corbett says given the conditions, power crews are risking their lives to help: “One of the workers saying when they were working with the trees covered with ice and snow they are often called widow makers. They can call accidents that can injure people or unfortunately kill people.” Also dangerous, some people are trying to heat their homes with grills, indoor generators, and kerosene heaters. At least 25 people have been taken to the hospital with symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. The Red Cross has opened several shelters to help people without heat. Chris Orsini is from Downingtown, PA: “I have 3 children and it’s kinda tough on them and you know you worry about the pipes being cold and breaking, you know, homewoners insurance stuff you worry about.”

The amount and scope of tree and powerline damage caught some people in the Southern Pennsylvania by surprise as the second storm in three days blew through. “I’ve been living here about 12, 13 years and I’ve never seen this many trees fall on one block.”

And it’s not just the northeast that’s getting pummeled. Snow is falling Thursday in Alexandria, Louisiana. People in Chicago are braving bone-chilling sub-zero temperatures. And Atlanta is gearing up for ice as well. Winter weather is also making the roads a mess in Dallas with countless spin-outs and crash all as the harsh 2014 winter keeps millions of Americans in its crosshairs.