Media Heats Up with Coverage of Extreme Weather By Alex Kasdin
CBS News and the Associated Press reported on the mass power
outages that occurred across the mid-Atlantic region because of
the severe thunderstorm event, known as a “derecho,” that
occurred on June 29. The lack of power, and consequently the
lack of air conditioning, has added to the public health risks
from the late June and early July heat wave. According to the
Washington Post, the morning commute in and around Washington,
D.C. was not as treacherous as feared since many traffic lights
were without power. Many federal and state employees were told
they could work from home on Monday to help alleviate the
traffic. Workers from power companies descended upon the mid-
Atlantic, some from hundreds of miles away, to help restore
power supplies. Credit: Getty Images Power outages still plague
the D.C. area. Almost 25 percent of customers in D.C., Northern
Virginia, and Montgomery and Prince George’s counties are still
without power, according to the