Kiryat Menachem residents Henry (81) and Yehudis (77) Foner have been sitting in a cold dark apartment in the capital since Wednesday, 8 Teves 5774. Henry told Yediot Achronot “Our mazel is that we have a kerosene heater that works without electricity. This is what saved us.”

“We are sitting in the dark apartment with candles. We cannot read and we cannot even take a shower. We tried calling the electric company and now, even our mobile phones are dead. Nothing appears to be happening. I am handicapped and the situation is not a simple one” Henry adds.

And for some the storm has brought even more difficult realities. One elderly lady who is now in Rebecca Ziff Hospital in Tzfas is cold and hungry after she was alone without power, unable to take her medication for days. Hospital officials report when she arrived she was suffering from hypothermia, she was not properly dressed, and she was confused and hungry. She explained to hospital officials that she could not find her medication in the dark apartment.

Some residents in blackout areas report they heat pots of water during the day to warm themselves from the steam and to have hot water on hand.

Three days after the big storm hit 14,000 homes remain without power and Israel Electric does not really seem to know when full power will be restored. An estimated 6,000 homes in and around Yerushalayim were without power on Monday morning 13 Teves along with thousands throughout Yehuda and Shomron. Among those without power are the 270 families of Kibbutz Tzuba, located in the Jerusalem corridor. It appears the kibbutz will remain in the dark until at least Wednesday.

Residents report it is simply difficult to pass the time as there is no electricity and it is still too cold and too much snow outside to get anywhere.

While many residents are full of praise for Israel Electric Company and the crews working tirelessly in the storm to restore power, many feel the utility company failed by the fact it has announced too often that power would be up in certain areas and this did not occur. They explain that if utility company officials would just say it will take days, define a time, then residents in some cases could call on family members to take them out of the area.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)