It’s been almost one week here in southeast Virginia without power due to the hurricane. I do have power at my office, but not at home. No trees on my house, I am very fortunate, just a lot of clean-up. My neighbor and I are sharing a generator to run the refrigerator. I sure do miss the workshop, and the hum of power tools.
Robert
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Enjoy the peace and quiet while you can.
I went throught the Ice Storm of '98 in upstate New York. We had no power in my town for a week. Some areas went 3 to 4 weeks. It was January so heat was the primary need. But, it was an enjoyable experience.
One freaky part was night time. There were no electric lights anywhere, so walking around the neighborhood was strange. Of course, the sparkle of everything being covered in crystal clear ice was magical. But the strange part was how much natural light there is. Even on cloudy nights, with no lights anywhere, no vehicles (curfew) you could see fine. In fact, with all the obnoxious bright lights gone, you could actually see better and farther. No noise either, no traffic, no TV's, no noisy neighbors, except for the constant snap! crash! of branches for days.
It was a great experience for the kids. With no electricty they actually had to have fun with people. Lots of board games, reading, helping with the cooking, collecting icecicles to melt down for water to cook and wash with, helping neighbors clean up, and just plain conversation.
They learned how to bathe and shampoo with a pot of water they heated on the stove. They learned that they didn't need to wear a piece of clothing for an hour then throw it in the hamper. They learned how to cook without any appliances that beep.
It's good that you had little damage. I feel bad for those with loss. Help others and enjoy the unique opportunity to learn.
Sorry to hear you're still having to rough it, but have to say it's refreshing to hear from people with reasonable perspective on the power-loss problem. Two people who were interviewed on the radio a couple of days ago were going on and on about how they couldn't understand why it was taking so long, and why couldn't the power company give them an expected "power-on" date, and how the power company just wasn't doing enough to get their power back on. Sheesh!
We had a nasty snow and ice storm on the island in 1990(?) that snapped trees all over the place and took power out for some people for 10 days or so (me: 5 days -- no power, no phone, no water, and it was like 10 degrees outside). I can't even imagine what a mess things must be after that hurricane went through. I heard that there are power crews from Canada and several states west of the hurricane path helping out.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
FG,
I heard on the radio this morning on my way to work someone in the area put a huge sign in their front yard expressing their dissatisfaction with the power company, to put it lightly. I'd put them on next weeks list.
3 Linemen have died cleaning up after Isabel. 2 here in MD and the other in NC.
Enjoy, Roy
Robert,
I feel your pain, I really do. Times before electricity can have thier ways. Give me modern conviences anytime. I joked with my wife, when the power comes back on I'm gonna cut something on the tablesaw just for the hell of it.
I was out of power for 40 hours here in the DC burbs. Thats not bad compared to some of the other stories I've heard and what I read in the paper. All I had was hot and cold water. Glad I bought ice before the storm because it was no where to be found the next morning. Cooked on the camping stove on the deck off the kitchen, I enjoyed that, except for the skeaters. I did alittle sitting and cleaning tools in a dark shop. No sanding, with no ventilation. The only good news right from the beginning was a large area was out, numbers rule. My spirits were uplifted Saturday morning when the power company hit the neighborhood in force (8 trucks). It took most of the day but the power was back on at 4:00. My son and I were so bored we cleaned up the yard. But we did go on a short bike ride.
Day and a half off work with pay was cool. I was pulling for Monday but.
I'm going to buy a generator. This was the last time for me. I've been out for 3 days twice and 4 days twice because of summer and winter storms.
No power is sooooooo BORING!
Hang in there!
Enjoy, Roy
You'll be able to find some great deal on slightly used generators in couple of months! Make sure you don't get one that was run without oil or something. And use gasoline stabilizer, too.
So glad you are o.k. Enjoy the peace and quiet while you can. Thank goodness it is not 10 below zero. Take Care and let us know when your power comes back on.
it always amazes me when people build/move into a disaster prone area, be it hurricanes, floods, tornados, whatever, then b i t c h like children when the govt, insurance company, power company, emergency response, red cross don't restore their world to status quo ante immediately after the entirely predictable sh!t storm hits the fan. (if not completely protect and insulate them from the consequences of their own decision in the first place)
m
come to think of it- it really doesn't "amaze" me at all. i've actually come to expect at least some people to behave exactly like that every time- no matter how many times it happens.
I love the Outer Banks of North Carolina, vacationed there many times, but if your going to own a home there, your going to get HIT! over and over again. Facts of life and nature. Outer Banks got a new inlet from Isabel. The whole area wil;l not be there in 100 years or so.
I think I'll build a house down that hill right on the shore of that pretty river. Doh!
Tornado's I would leave out of the equation, thats about 1/3 of the US.
Enjoy, Roy
Power just came back on this afternoon. What a joy, no more ice runs, no more gas for the generator, and tomorrow morning I can have a hot shower. Thanks to the power company from Orlando Fl. that was working in my area, and to all the other workers that left their families to come work in Virginia. I won't forget this experience for a long time. Now, out to the shop.
Robert
Congrats!!!! That hot shower must have felt reaaaaalllllllll good! It's amazing how the crews travel to help each other out in crises like this one.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Glad to hear your power has been restored. It is truly amazing how people are willing to help each other out in a time of need. Enjoy!
You ought to treat yourself to the sound of a plane making a shaving - lot more satifying than the screech (hum?) of power tools.
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