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Website Article: How Stuff Works, 10 Worst Nor’easters of All Time | Stay warm while browsing these photos & details terrible U.S. storms.
Website Article: National Park Service, Cherry Blossom Festival | Watch for the peak blooms & find out about the fun festival.
Interactive Website: PBS LearningMedia, Nature, Sled Dogs, Dogsledding 101 | Learn more about these fast, hard-working dogs and how to be a musher?
Read the script:
A FEW WEEKS BACK, WE GAVE YOU THE DEFINITION OF A NOR'EASTER, REMEMBER? A BIG WINTER STORM THAT HITS THE NORTHEAST PART OF THE NATION. FOR THE FOLKS IN THAT REGION, THEY HAVEN'T HAD ANY CHANCE TO FORGET, AS TWO STORMS IN ONE WEEK HAVE THEM SHOVELING AWAY.
TAKE A LOOK AT THESE PEOPLE TRYING TO MAKE IT THROUGH MANHATTAN. CITY LIFE NOT SO EASY WITH ALL THAT WHITE STUFF. OR THESE PEOPLE IN SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS, TRYING TO DIG THEIR WAY THROUGH IT. THAT'S SOME TOUGH WORK.
EVEN IN OUR SMALLEST STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, MOTHER NATURE SERVED UP A BIG HELPING OF SNOW. MELISSA RANDALL HAS THAT STORY FOR US.
MELISSA: IT MAY LOOK PRETTY, BUT MOTHER NATURE TOOK A TOLL ON THE TOWN OF SCITUATE WITH THIS LATEST STORM.
TONI: WE HEAR A LOT OF SNAP, CRACKLE AND POP AROUND HERE.
MELISSA: THOSE SOUNDS COMING FROM THE TREES THAT JUST COULDN'T BEAR ANY MORE WEIGHT.
TONI: MY HUSBAND WOKE UP THIS MORNING AND HE SAID THERE'S A TREE ACROSS YOUR VEHICLE, AND I SAID WHAT?
MELISSA: BUT THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT TONI DEPALO FOUND WHEN SHE WENT OUTSIDE. A LARGE BRANCH HAD SNAPPED, CRASH LANDING ON HER CAR IN THE DRIVEWAY. THE REST OF HER YARD, NOT SO LUCKY EITHER.
TONI: THERE’S ALSO A TREE HANGING OVER THE POOL OVER THERE, SO THAT'S GONNA BE A CONCERN TONIGHT.
MELISSA: THE POWER IS OUT IN MUCH OF THE TOWN, ONLY ADDING TO THE PROBLEM. IF YOU LISTEN CAREFULLY, YOU CAN HEAR THE HUM OF GENERATORS. NEARLY EVERYBODY IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD HAS ONE. AND THOSE WHO DON'T SAY AFTER THIS STORM, THEY'LL BE GETTING ONE. THAT INCLUDES NANCY HANKINSON, WHO LIVES ABOUT 10 HOUSES DOWN. SHE'S TRYING TO STAY OPTIMISTIC WHILE DEALING WITH FLOODING, SOMETHING THAT'S GETTING MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT BY THE HOUR.
NANCY: IT’S A BIT MUCH, TO SAY THE LEAST.
MELISSA: THE WATER IN HER BASEMENT NOW SEVERAL INCHES DEEP. SHE'S HOLDING ON TO HOPE THAT NATIONAL GRID WILL BE BY SOON.
NANCY: IF I HAD POWER, MY SUMP PUMP WOULD RUN, AND THEN I COULD GET RID OF THE WATER.
MELISSA: UNTIL THEN, SHE'LL STAY BUSY PICKING UP THE DAMAGE OUTDOORS.
RICK: THANKS, MELISSA. IN NEW YORK, THE NATIONAL GUARD HAS STEPPED IN TO HELP WITH CLEAN UP FROM THE SECOND STORM. BUT FOR MORE THAN A WEEK, SOME NEW YORK RESIDENTS WERE WITHOUT POWER. FOLKS THERE HIGHLY UPSET AT THE POWER COMPANY FOR NOT BEING OPEN ABOUT THE PROBLEM. BUT ON A POSITIVE NOTE, THE CHILL HAS BROUGHT SOME NEIGHBORS CLOSER TOGETHER. TONY AIELLO HAS THAT STORY.
TONY: A TRIP TO THE BASEMENT STILL MEANS GRABBING A LANTERN. BUT ON DAY EIGHT WITHOUT POWER, MONICA SCOTT IS ACTUALLY BETTER THAN ON DAYS ONE AND TWO, WHEN SHE HAD TO FEED THE FIREPLACE TO STAY WARM.
MONICA: BECAUSE WE HAVE THE GENERATOR, WE'VE BEEN COMFORTABLE, BUT IT'S INCONVENIENT, TO SAY THE LEAST. IT'S VERY INCONVENIENT.
TONY: AND SOMEWHAT EXPENSIVE, $100 A DAY TO RENT AND FUEL THIS UNIT. IT POWERS THE BOILER IN THE BASEMENT, THE REFRIGERATOR IN THE KITCHEN, AND ONE OUTLET IN THE DINING ROOM. A KINDLY NEIGHBOR DELIVERS FUEL TO KEEP THE GENERATOR RUNNING.
MONICA: WE TRY TO HELP EACH OTHER AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. YEAH, MMHMM.
TONY: SHE’S DOING HER PART BY GIVING A SPARE BEDROOM TO MARILYN FERRARA, WHOSE HOME NEXT DOOR IS ICE COLD.
MARILYN: RIGHT NOW IT'S FREEZING OVER THERE. TONY: BUT YOU HAVE A WARM-HEARTED NEIGHBOR.
MARILYN: I DO. THAT'S WHAT I KEEP THANKING HER AND SHE GETS ANGRY THAT I'M THANKING HER, BUT I DO APPRECIATE IT.
TONY: IN ROCKLAND COUNTY, CITIZEN SOLDIERS ARE STEPPING UP. THE NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYED TO ASSIST WITH REMOVAL OF STORM-TOPPLED TREES. AND WHILE MOST OF THOSE WITHOUT POWER APPRECIATE THE HARDWORKING UTILITY COMPANY CREWS, THERE'S ANGER AT MANAGEMENT. FRIDAY, DOZENS OF WESTCHESTER ELECTED OFFICIALS JOINED, TO CALL FOR THE HEADS OF CON EDISON AND NYSEG TO LOSE THEIR JOBS FOR BOTCHING THE STORM RESPONSE.
LOCAL OFFICIAL: I WANNA SEE CHANGE IN THE CORPORATE BOARDROOM, BECAUSE THERE WAS FAILURE ON THE STREETS OF THIS COUNTY. AND SOMEONE'S GONNA BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR IT.
TONY: CON ED'S CEO ADMITTED TODAY HIS UTILITY BOTCHED THE BASIC JOB OF PROVIDING INFORMATION.
CON ED CEO: WE HAVE SEEN SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS IN US PROVIDING ACCURATE AND CONSISTENT INFORMATION TO OUR CUSTOMERS. CUSTOMERS WERE TOLD THEY WERE BACK IN SERVICE, WHEN IN FACT, THEY WEREN'T.
RICK: THANKS, TONY. ONE PLACE WHERE THE SNOW IS WELCOME, IS ALASKA. IT'S THERE THAT THE IDITAROD SLED DOG RACE HAS BEGUN.
SOT: THREE, TWO, ONE, GO!
RICK: THE IDITAROD IS AN ANNUAL RACE THAT RUNS ALONG PARTS OF THE IDITAROD TRAIL. THAT'S AN HISTORIC PATH THAT HAD BEEN USED BY NATIVE AMERICANS, AND LATER BY FUR TRADERS AND MINERS.
THE RACE, WHICH CAN LAST WEEKS, BEGINS WITH A CEREMONIAL START IN ANCHORAGE. THAT HAPPENED THIS YEAR ON MARCH 3RD. THE FINISH LINE IS NEARLY 1,000 MILES AWAY IN NOME.
THE COURSE SWITCHES BETWEEN TWO PATHS EVERY YEAR, BUT IT'S MEANT TO COMMEMORATE A 1925 TREK ACROSS THE STATE BY DOGSLED, THAT BROUGHT ESSENTIAL MEDICINE TO SICK PEOPLE IN NOME.
DESPITE THE SNOWY WEATHER, THE WATCH IS ON FOR CHERRY BLOSSOMS IN THE NATION'S CAPITAL. THE ANNUAL CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL OCCURS WHEN THE FLOWERING TREES ARE IN FULL BLOOM IN WASHINGTON DC.
NOW THIS CELEBRATES A SPECIAL HISTORY BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND JAPAN. WAY BACK IN 1912, JAPAN GIFTED THE UNITED STATES 3,000 TREES, AN ACT OF GOODWILL DIPLOMACY. THE IDEA WAS TO SHOW THAT THE TWO NATIONS WERE DEVOTED TO ONE ANOTHER. DIPLOMACY MEANS THE ACT OF HANDLING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN TWO COUNTRIES.
NOW, NATIONAL PARK HORTICULTURALISTS ARE KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON THE FLOWER DEVELOPMENT AFTER NOTICING THE FIRST STAGES OF FLOWERS, GREEN BUDS, BACK ON FEBRUARY 25TH. THE PEAK BLOOM IS PREDICTED FOR A TIME BETWEEN MARCH 27TH AND 31ST.