"Natural disaster?" That’s what the big-business media would have one believe. But some of the truth has begun to come out, usually buried at the end of articles or inside pages.

The Charlotte Observer for example noted that downtown businesses never lost power "because the area is served by an underground line." In addition, "Heavy industrial users were less vulnerable to power outages because they typically connect directly to higher power transmission lines," the daily noted. Duke Power, the main electric company in the region--with more than 1 million of its customers without electricity the day after the storm--"strings those lines higher and trims the trees around them more frequently."

In other words, to maximize profits and save money, Duke and the local capitalist governments skimp on trimming trees near utility lines and avoid burying existing power lines. The city of Charlotte even has a law that forbids the city from requiring power companies to pay for burying their lines, and eighty percent of Duke’s power lines are overhead. A large percentage of the outage was caused by ice-laden branches falling on power lines.

The small town of Maiden, North Carolina, was an exception. After the February 1996 ice storm, it took town crews three days to clear all the limbs and trees and restore power. Since then, the Town Council has budgeted money every year specifically for keeping trees trimmed. Unlike Charlotte, which as of December 7 was predicting that tens of thousands would be without power for at least several more days and up to two weeks, most Maiden residents were without power for only half a day.

Do profits for big business take priority over the human needs of working people? Readers can draw their own conclusions.

No effort was made to request or organize volunteers to help clear roads of fallen trees to facilitate the passing of traffic and emergency vehicles. Some people on their own initiative took out chain saws and helped clear streets or aid neighbors.

They didn’t get much immediate help on this score from the government. Once the disaster began, North Carolina’s governor instead asked everyone to "stay off the roads" and declared a state of emergency. No effort was made to actively seek out senior citizens who live alone to make sure they were all right. Most were forced to fend for themselves. A handful of shelters were set up at some area schools and public facilities. Radio reports told people to bring their own bedding to the shelter. But in the case of Kannapolis the opening of the shelters themselves was delayed because of lack of heat.

Most people sought their own solutions. The few stores that were open rapidly sold out of candles, flashlights, batteries, and kerosene heaters. "Some retailers, hotels, restaurants and shopping malls enjoyed a windfall," the Observer noted. One store was selling kerosene heaters at $114 a piece.

Hospitals in the Charlotte area reported that more than 200 people, mostly Asian and Spanish-speaking immigrants, were hospitalized for carbon monoxide poisoning or a number of illnesses caused by improper use of portable heaters or cooking indoors using charcoal grill. Many did not know or were not warned in their first language about possible carbon-monoxide poisoning dangers when using these devices indoors without adequate ventilation.

But the ice storm didn’t much hurt the four main shopping malls in the Charlotte area. They had power the whole time. Thousands without heat headed to the malls to stay warm.  
 
 
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