Could you help me?

I extracted the following article from CNN. Could you tell me what the underlined 'they' means? Thank you in advance.

For millions of people on the U.S. East Coast, it`s like they`ve been hit by a category one hurricane, but this storm lashed them with cold and snow. Tens of thousands from Virginia, on down to Florida lost electricity. And in Connecticut, where the forecast called for at least six inches of snow, and winds as strong as 50 miles per hour, the state`s governor said utility crews wouldn't be able to get power lines repaired if they fell.