POWHATAN COUNTY, Va. — Warmer temperatures helped melt some of the snow and ice left by Tuesday's winter storm, but thousands of folks in Powhatan County remain without electricity.
In fact, as of 3 p.m. Thursday, more than 3,400 customers were without power, according to Dominion Energy.
Officials with the energy company said that the majority of customers in Metro Richmond would have power restored by 11 p.m. Thursday.
"Outages in areas with the most extensive damage will extend into Friday, and a small number may go into the weekend," officials said. "These areas include Southside Virginia, Powhatan, and parts of Midlothian."
Ray Causey, who has lived in Powhatan for 14 years, is also waiting for the electricity to be restored.
“Looking at this, it would be hard to think it would be done by tonight, but they’ve been pretty quick in the past,” he said.
Causey said that losing power a few times a year is not unusual.
“So you’re just waiting, it was kinda like being in prison. You got no lights. You got no water. You can’t heat up anything,” Causey explained. “You’re hoping it will come right back on and it doesn’t.”
Residents are dealing with downed power lines across roads, driveways and even mailboxes. Those downed trees are also causing issues for power crews.
Michael Pfab woke up Thursday morning to find the temperature inside his house was 51 degrees. He spent the morning looking for a convenience store with power so he could buy gasoline for his generator.
“I checked online first to see if they were open, I should have called to see if they had their pumps working,” Pfab said.
Matthew Bennett is using a generator to keep his home running.
“It’s been interesting,” he said. “You learn after a while, living here, that a generator is important.”
WATCH: Fallen trees lead to thousands of power outages in Virginia
Power crews have been working hard to fix the extensive damage caused by the storm.
“Looking at the damage, with the lines and all the trees and stuff they have down, they definitely have their work cut out for them,” Bennett said.
As efforts to restore power continue, residents are reminded not to touch downed wires. Those using generators should keep them away from their homes, ensure they are well-ventilated and properly connected.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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