Powerless residents improvise to get cool

HUNTINGTON -- People across the South Side of Huntington were finding out Friday night and Saturday morning that their front porches can be a cool place.

High winds and a thunderstorm Friday evening knocked out power to thousands of homes in the Tri-State, leaving people without air conditioning on days when the temperatures reached the triple digits and heat advisories were issued.

"Before the thunderstorm hit, the power went out," said Nam Phan of 9261/2 9th St. "It was miserable."

He and a neighbor, Stephanie Walker of 925 9th Ave., were cooling their heels on their shaded front porch Saturday morning wondering when the power would be restored.

"I'm going to have to empty out my freezer and grill out," Walker said. "We opened the windows. There was a breeze coming through. We got the candles and the flashlights."

She and her 4-year-old son, Willie, took a cool bath Friday night. "It got us through. I would have been in a panic if we didn't have water."

"I took a bath," Willie Walker said. "We had three flashlights and two candles."

Earlier he saw a tree crush a car.

His mom was planning to get the sprinkler out to keep Willie cool later in the day.

Trees, large limbs and downed power lines were a common sight around Huntington Saturday.

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Powerless residents improvise to get cool