Savoonga Residents Struggle With Power Outages

Associated Press

The village of Savoonga on St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea is continuing to struggle with power outages.

The Alaska Division of Homeland Security says the power outages began Monday when lines became laden with ice and winds caused arcing.Electrical technicians have been able to restore power to the new section of town and most of the old section, but about 25 homes and the village store remained without power Wednesday. Phone communication also has been affected, and some pipes are frozen.

Homeland Security spokesman Jeremy Zidek says at one point about 90 percent of homeswere without power. He says some people are staying at the school.About 700 people live in Savoonga.

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