Mission Hills residents brave fourth night in cold without power
Residents of Monterey Manor in Mission Hills are struggling to stay warm as they face their fourth night without heat Tuesday after a recent storm caused a power outage.
"What am I going to do?" asked Crista Umberson Tuesday. "I wear sweatshirts and sweat pants but that's not enough and you're cold. Yes! I'm always cold."
Umberson, who has lived in the mobile home park for over 20 years, said her home has partial power with only a few outlets working. The kitchen is completely dead, causing her food to spoil, and she has no heat.
"I have got three pork roasts in the freezer," she said. "I got chicken in there and hamburger meat."
To keep warm, she has resorted to running her gas oven with the door open, which is a dangerous practice. Umberson said she has considered paying only half of her rent due to the lack of assistance.
The park's manager explained to KCAL News that they called an electrician, but they cannot fix the problem without the assistance of the Department of Water and Power, which is still working to restore power to thousands of customers after the storm that occurred over the weekend.
Maryann Carhart, another resident, is also facing partial power, but fortunately, she can still plug in her breathing machine somewhere else.
"It's very inconvenient," Carhart said.
DWP reports that they still have 7,600 customers without power, down from 140,000 during the height of the storm, but it remains uncertain when power will be fully restored.
