WASHINGTON (AP) — Utility crews are untangling downed power lines and tree limbs across the mid-Atlantic today.
They are working to get the electricity turned back on for millions of people facing a second day of 100-degree temperatures without modern conveniences like air conditioning and refrigeration.
Strong winds from Friday night storms toppled massive trees onto cars and blocked roads. Officials have been asking residents not to drive until they could clear debris from the streets.
Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley says unlike a hurricane "that gives you three days of warning" and allows state officials to line up extra personnel so they can immediately start on cleanup, Friday's weather came up suddenly.
The storm is being described as a derecho — a straight-line wind storm that sweeps over a large area at high speed.
The bulk of the damage was in West Virginia, Washington, D.C., and the capital's Virginia and Maryland suburbs. At least 13 people were killed, including six in Virginia. Most of the deaths involved falling trees.
Meanwhile, malls, movie theaters and other public places with power have been packed with people trying to escape the heat.
One woman taking refuge at a Maryland library expressed the concerns of many, saying if the power doesn't come back on tonight, she'll have to throw out everything in her refrigerator.
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APPHOTO VASTA107: Mia Kivlighan inspects damage to a tree that fell outside her home on Sherwood Avenue on Saturday, June 30, 2012 in Staunton, Va. Violent storms swept across the eastern U.S., killing at least nine people and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands on a day that temperatures across the region are expected to reach triple-digits. (AP Photo/The News Leader, Pat Jarrett) (30 Jun 2012)
<<APPHOTO VASTA107 (06/30/12)>>
APPHOTO VASTA117: A 100-year-old maple tree lies in the yard after damaging the home of Tracy Pyles, the chairman of the Augusta County Board of Supervisors, in Churchville, Va. on Saturday, June 30, 2012. Strong winds from an overnight storm downed trees and left thousands without power in the Shenandoah Valley. (AP Photo/The News Leader, Pat Jarrett) (30 Jun 2012)
<<APPHOTO VASTA117 (06/30/12)>>
APPHOTO VASTA102: A tree fell on a power line on Thornrose Avenue near Gypsy Hill Park on Saturday, June 30, 2012 in Staunton, Va. Violent storms swept across the eastern U.S., killing at least nine people and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands on a day that temperatures across the region are expected to reach triple-digits. (AP Photo/The News Leader, Pat Jarrett) (30 Jun 2012)
<<APPHOTO VASTA102 (06/30/12)>>
APPHOTO DCMC101: A tree blown over during a intense storm late Friday night lays on the ground in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington Saturday, June 30, 2012. Violent storms swept across the eastern U.S., killing at least nine people and knocking out power. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) (30 Jun 2012)
<<APPHOTO DCMC101 (06/30/12)>>
