RUSH TOWNSHIP -- Homes and businesses are still without power in Schuylkill County.
Russ Yallas feeds the blaze in his fireplace near Tamaqua. It's his only source of heat. His power has been out since Monday night. In his backyard, trees lean on wires.
“I went to bed last nigh,t there was no fire because I was afraid to leave the fire overnight so I just went to bed with my clothes on, that’s all,” said Yallas.
Everything in Mike Smetana's house runs on electricity, which he doesn't have.
“It gives you an appreciation for what the people did when there was no electricity in the country,” said Smetana.
The Heffelfinger family has a generator but that's not a cure all when the main power is out.
“We have a heater going on in there a refrigerator plugged in but no hot water, no electric no lights or anything,” said Mike Heffelfinger.
To add insult to injury, the Whildin family not only doesn't have electricity, a tree slammed into their home.
“It was so loud it almost sounded like an explosion, and everything just shook, and it was very loud. There is serious damage to the roof that was just put on a month ago, so there is a hole in the top off the roof,” said Sue Whildin.
Electric utilities said for some customers the power will be out for hours, for others it will be days.