As outages linger, frustration builds. "We're doing the best we can," says a utility spokesman.
By COLLEEN JENKINS
Published September 10, 2004
BROOKSVILLE - Nick Lucas knows he was relatively lucky to have weathered Hurricane Frances without him or any of his 70-some residents at Tall Oaks Village mobile home park getting hurt.
But as he surveyed the damage Thursday - including mobile homes crushed by thick trees, others with leaking roofs and power lines still grazing the muddy ground - the 66-year-old park owner couldn't help but feel bitter about the destruction around him.
Seven of the 34 homes are not safe to live in. All are without power and water, even though the properties next door and across the street got their electricity restored.
"I would just like a little relief for the people who are still here," he said, cruising through the park on his compact, red Kawasaki utility vehicle. "It's like we're the stepchildren out here."
Such frustrations are common after a major storm, as those without hot showers and cable television look enviously at their neighbors who have had the luxuries returned. On Thursday, Hernando emergency management workers continued their efforts to return normalcy to all corners of the county while asking residents to remain patient.
"We're doing the best we can," said Ernie Holzhauer, spokesman for Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative.
Emergency management director Tom Leto met with officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Thursday to plan a schedule for curbside debris removal, which is expected to begin early next week.
As of Thursday evening, 4,498 Progress Energy Florida customers still were without power, down from 5,271 the night before.
Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative had an estimated 6,000 customers lacking electricity, up from 5,400 Wednesday night. The increase more accurately reflected the outages, as well as additional interruptions caused by an early morning storm in northern Hernando and Citrus counties, Holzhauer said.
Neither utility would give a date when power will be restored to all customers.
Holzhauer said his company had received many angry phone calls from customers still without electricity Thursday. Though he understood their complaints - his own home hasn't had power since Saturday - Holzhauer asked residents to remember how hard crews are working.
"They've been working nonstop since Saturday," he said. "Most are working 14 hours a day. Those employees have shown their dedication."
One Spring Hill woman was especially thrilled to get her power back Tuesday afternoon. Dotty Trautman, 75, relies on electricity to fuel the nebulizer she and her 79-year-old husband, Bill, use for oxygen four times a day. After two days with no power, the 82-pound woman began to fear for their health.
Trying to avoid a hospital waiting room, which would be difficult for her husband, who has Alzheimer's, Trautman frantically called area hotels looking for a room with power. Everything was full.
Hampton Inn in Spring Hill didn't have any free rooms either, but the manager allowed the couple to sit in the hotel's lobby on Monday and use its power. The staff even fed the couple free muffins, toast and coffee, said a grateful Mrs. Trautman.
"Anything they had there for their guests, they offered us," she said.
On Thursday, the forecast from the National Weather Service in Ruskin still called for minor flooding in some parts of the county. The Withlacoochee River crested at 13.7 feet as expected at the gauge at Trilby. The flood stage there is 12 feet.
The center's forecast was for the river to crest at 10 feet by Saturday morning at the gauge at Croom, 1 foot above the flood stage.
The floodwaters are expected to recede Sunday afternoon.
Other flooded areas as of late Thursday morning included River Road, east of the river, Peterson Park, Florida Campland and Withlacoochee River Canoe Rental.
Ray L. Graber, director of government and public affairs for Bright House Networks, didn't have exact figures for how many residents still were without cable Thursday. He said technicians were working behind power companies to restore cable service and could not finish until residents got their power back.
"We're making some very good progress in Hernando County," Graber said. "We're following right behind them (the power companies) to get them back on the air."
About 68,600 BellSouth customers in an 11-county area, including Hernando, still do not have phone service. To aid customers affected by the storm, the telephone company has offered free call forwarding and voice mail for 30 days.
