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SOMERS, N.Y. - Over 100 people were on line waiting for dry ice at the Somers Middle School on Monday afternoon. It arrived at about 4:30 p.m. and was distributed by Steve Ralston of the Somers Recreation Department, one bag per person.
As of 11 p.m. Monday night, NYSEG was reporting nearly 2,000 of its customers in Somers were still in the dark. The utility indicated on its website that customers in the town may have to wait until Thursday or Friday for power to be restored.
As she waited on line, Renee Lubell, an elder-caregiver at Heritage Hills, discussed the power outage. "This is worse than Irene for my clients," she said. "It's the cold that's the issue, not the absence of electricity."
Chris Newman, who moved to Somers from Armonk less than a year ago, said, "To have two whammies in just a few months is difficult. I feel bad for those who are infirm or elderly." Newman was philosophical about the situation. "We don't have control over things like electricity. It's the luck of the draw." She paused and added, "Still, I don't remember such problems in the past. Everyone says it's global warming. I don't know about everyone else, but I'm cold."
Dr. David N. Rahni, a professor of chemistry and physical science at Pace University's Dyson College, shared some of his scientific expertise while he waited on line.
"Dry ice is basically carbon dioxide. It usually lasts about 24 hours. It's the safest way to preserve food," he said. "The temperature of dry ice is substantially lower than 32 degrees. You have to handle it carefully since it can give you frostbite. It's a very good agent because it never liquifies. It sublimes. I'm putting mine in my coolers with my food and leaving it outside. Dry ice is the same agent they use in horror movies, to make all those fumes. It's perfect for Halloween."
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