Power Out, Poles Down in NE D.C.

Residents in one Northeast neighborhood were without power for most of the day on Tuesday, which was also one of the hottest days of the summer.

It's been a race against time to get power restored after three utility poles crashed to the ground and two others were left leaning. The lack of electricity was a serious problem for some with health issues.

Work to fix the big mess continued into the evening in the Deanwood section of Northeast D.C. Residents like Florence Nelson heard the crash.

"You could hear it. Boom, boom, boom," Nelson told FOX 5's Roby Chavez. "I said my goodness what is going on. The next thing I know-- boom."

One by one, the utility poles fell into the street. Three came down. Two were left leaning.

The downed lines were a health hazard for some. One 7 month old who suffers from a heart condition was taken from his apartment complex, which had no electricity for hours.

"He has an enlarged heart and it's hot in there. I had to get him out of there. I'm going to the hospital to see if we can stay in a motel. It's too hot in there," said Levistine Young who lives in one of several apartment complexes nearby.

Pepco crews responded en masse to replace the damaged poles. Residents were left powerless.

"It's hot and it's miserable really. There is no electricity. There's no cold water in the refrigerator," said resident Rosa Nora.

Her neighbor, Florence Nelson, agreed.

"We're going to get stuff to make sandwiches. Something to eat. Something cold to drink," said Nelson.

The problems were not limited to the heat.

Minnesota Avenue was closed as well as the entrance to the Deanwood metro station parking lot.

Officials say a cement truck hit one of the poles. Witnesses ran as they fell.

"It looked like a battle zone. All the poles are down. Transformers are in the middle of the street. It was like a domino affect. One pole after another all the way down the street," said Kenneth Russell.

Fixing the problem was no easy task. Dozens of crews worked to replace the poles and restring the lines.

After a day without power, residents worry lots of food will be lost.

"I got milk and food in freezer. I hadn't had power since 12:25 p.m. I'll be scared to eat it tomorrow if we don't get power on soon," said one resident as she stood in the doorway to capitalize on a slight breeze.

Pepco officials say the work should be complete by midnight.