Tanaz Rahin and her mother Farri Rahin of Charleston, W.Va., drove across town to the Kroger in South Charleston, W.Va., to find water following a chemical spill on the Elk River that compromised the public water supply to eight counties on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014. (AP Photo/Tyler Evert)
January 10, 2014 - 1:27 AM
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Restaurants are closed, children are staying home from school and state lawmakers have suspended their just-begun session.
For nine West Virginia counties, Friday promises to be a challenging day as residents struggled to carry on under a state of emergency the day after a chemical spill in the Elk River in the capital of Charleston.
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin declared the emergency Thursday after a spill from Freedom Industries inundated the river and a nearby water treatment plant.
Tomblin has ordered customers of West Virginia American Water to use their tap water only for flushing toilets. No bathing, cooking, or washing — either of hands or clothes.
Officials say they're still trying to determine the extent of any possible contamination from the spill.
News from © The Associated Press, 2014