PULASKI COUNTY, Va. – While the weather may be warming up, the aftermath of last weekend's snowstorm is still being felt. More than 8,000 customers are still without power, most of those in Virginia.
This crew is hard at work in Pulaski County clearing tree limbs from power lines. On Wednesday evening, thousands in the county remain without power after last weekend's heavy snowfall.
"We've been seeing broken poles, wire down everywhere, trees are just horrendous. It's kind of like the derecho when the derecho came through," said Gregory Boksa, a line mechanic for Appalachian Power.
Appalachian Power crews are working 16-hour days to get power restored to the hardest-hit areas. Many of those are in the New River Valley. From tree limbs in the road to tree limbs on boats, workers have a lot on their plates. That's why they're asking for patience as they work to clear the rest of the outages.
"I understand why they're upset because they don't have electricity but we're trying to get everybody on. Once we get them on, they're really happy," said Boksa.
In this Pulaski County neighborhood, the crews got a warm welcome. This family watched the snowfall from their front yard.
"It was crazy. From the snow to the sleet, we saw all the lights when the transformer blew," said Amber Marshall.
And in the middle of the snowstorm, while Amber and her family were watching the lights flicker and listening to tree limbs crack, a surprise proposal.
"My boyfriend asked me if I'd marry him. It was great," said Marshall.
Appalachian Power expects to have power restored to Bland, Giles, Montgomery, Pulaski and Wythe counties by midnight Thursday.