Approximately 20,000 Mingo County residents were left without power on Friday night after what some officials are calling the snow storm of the century.

According to Jarred Fletcher, the director of Mingo County’s Office of Emergency Services, approximately 6,000 residents are still without power with no estimated time frame on when electricity will be restored.

Areas including, Ben Creek, Newtown, Beech Creek, Dan’s Branch, Rice Branch, Laurel Creek, Din-gess, Chattaroy, Marrow-bone and Braden, are a few of the areas still affected by the power outage. Currently, 60 line crews have been brought into the area to replace damaged lines. The National Guard also has various posts throughout the county and is playing a support role to assist County Officials with anything that is needed.

Shelters have been established at Matewan City Hall, Delbarton Opry House, Williamson Volunteer Fire Department, Kermit Com-munity Center and Gilbert Elementary School. Indivi-duals still in need will be able to obtain shelter, hot meals and water.

Gilbert Mayor Vivian Livingood said nobody will be turned away, regardless of their residing county. Hamp-den Coal Company donated generators, providing power to the Gilbert Elementary shelter. Pam Surber is coordinating the shelter and said it hosted approximately 24 people Monday night.

Livingood praised the Mingo County Commission for their assistance with disaster relief.

The county distributed 4,000 gallons of kerosene, free of charge, throughout the county to assist residents in heating their homes.

“Mingo County is resil-ient,” said Fletcher. “We bounced back from the flood and we will bounce back from this.”