The cold and dark from from a lack of electricity that has hit thousands of people in the Dakotas, and for many, the power’s still not back on.
Hazelton, North Dakota has had no power since early Monday morning. Many of the elderly in town went to Linton to keep warm. We spoke with the mayor of Hazelton about how he’s been coping.
Jim Malard: “Well it was about a quarter to two Monday morning the power flashed several times.”
Jim Malard: “And we, myself we’ve been keeping warm with a fish house heater. It’s on, off, on, off but actually its 60 degrees in the house and the sunshine helps a little bit.”
Malard says he’s been using his R-V to warm his home.. and is just about ready to move into it.
Jim Malard: “But I did go out there Monday afternoon and watch a little TV which I couldn’t do in the house.”
Malard’s father in law, Arthur Ohlhauser has been staying with him to keep warm.
Arthur Ohlhauser: “Well it’s tough. I’ve lived up here I don’t know how many years seven, eight years, nine? And this is the most snow I’ve ever seen up here.”
He has been waiting on his oxygen tanks to be refilled.
Arthur Ohlhauser: “That they’ll come down and fill them in case of emergency.”
Malique Rankin: “And no one’s here.”
Arthur Ohlhauser: “No one’s here. I got a little bit left in my tank.”
He says he’s doing okay now.. but hopes replacements come soon.
Malard says the power outage makes for some boring nights.
Jim Malard: “You don’t realize it gets dark so early and you’re sitting there like what do I do now.”
He was wearily hopeful MDU would make their way to his town.
Jim Malard: “It’s like it’ll be on in the morning or it’ll be on tomorrow at noon and it hasn’t been on since.”
The powerless people of Hazelton will have to keep waiting it out.
We spoke with one couple who hadn’t showered in two days and were on their one hundredth game of Yahtzee. As of right now, power is still out in .