Hundreds of thousands still without power; Fast-moving storm kills two

[elleng]

BIG storm(s!)

Hope everyone's OK.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/26/AR2010072601401.html?hpid=moreheadlines&sid=ST2010072601402

[elleng]

1. Power outages expected to last for days.

"We think we will have the vast majority of our customers restored by Thursday," Pepco chief executive Joseph M. Rigby said at a news conference Monday in Northwest Washington.

Pepco had a maximum of about 300,000 customers without power, officials said. The numbers dropped Monday but fluctuated as power was restored and lost again.

Rigby called the outage "a multiday event. I don't feel good saying that. But that's the truth." He said much of the storm damage was caused by the region's heavy tree canopy, which he said is the third-largest in the country, behind those in Portland, Ore., and Atlanta.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/26/AR2010072601401_2.html?hpid=dynamiclead&sid=ST2010072601402

Photos

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/2010/07/25/GA2010072502788.html?sid=ST2010072601402