The ICEMAN cometh.....
and crapped all over us here in Oklahoma.
Lost power 7 A.M. Sunday..ten days ago.
Water out for 5 days.
Landline phone 7 days.
Got it back 3 PM this afternoon.
We had twelve days without a glimmer of sunshine...and rain, sleet, snow, or ice for at least 7-8 of those days.
The trees and power lines built up an inch or more of ice...and broke. Upwards of 600,000 homes, businesses, ect. out of power.
There were 1200 highline poles down within 20 miles of the house...and every tree on the property lost almost every branch on the tree. Two days running, I cut my way out of the yard..limbs were steadily breaking for two full days.
I was amused...as down to the local Wally Worlds (power was gotten to them quickly) people were in full panic mode...buying every flashlight, battery, lamp oil, candle, camping gear they could lay their hands upon.
I never fired up my 6000 watt generator..saved for emergency usage. Didn't really consider it an emergency.
Lost power 7 A.M. Sunday..ten days ago.
Water out for 5 days.
Landline phone 7 days.
Got it back 3 PM this afternoon.
We had twelve days without a glimmer of sunshine...and rain, sleet, snow, or ice for at least 7-8 of those days.
The trees and power lines built up an inch or more of ice...and broke. Upwards of 600,000 homes, businesses, ect. out of power.
There were 1200 highline poles down within 20 miles of the house...and every tree on the property lost almost every branch on the tree. Two days running, I cut my way out of the yard..limbs were steadily breaking for two full days.
I was amused...as down to the local Wally Worlds (power was gotten to them quickly) people were in full panic mode...buying every flashlight, battery, lamp oil, candle, camping gear they could lay their hands upon.
I never fired up my 6000 watt generator..saved for emergency usage. Didn't really consider it an emergency.
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I'm glad that you managed so well during the incident, though I am not at all surprised. It is one thing to preach self reliance and quite another to stand up and deliver...My hat is off to you sir. 0 -
Glad to hear your OK. That kind of weather situation is a pain but can be only an inconvienience if you're prepared. Sounds like you were. 0 -
I still wonder when the heck the power companies are going to start the smart thing and bury the lines. We don't string sewer and water lines on poles why put the power up there exposed to Mother Nature? 0 -
quote:Originally posted by bpost1958
I still wonder when the heck the power companies are going to start the smart thing and bury the lines. We don't string sewer and water lines on poles why put the power up there exposed to Mother Nature?
Good thing, too! I'd hate to hit a sewer line pole and have it break!![xx(][:0]0 -
Thanks, Kristov;
Items keep bubbling up in fresh memory.
Went into town Monday.On the way in, there was a tree down across the road. Got an axe and started cutting my way through. Fellow in a pickup on the other side of the tree got out and got a chain saw...started on the other side.
As we cut and dragged limbs, a fellow drove up behind me, bailed out, strode up to us and proclaimed to all and sundry that he "needed to get through here to get a fireplace key..he was out of power".
Fellow was dressed in brand-new unwrinkled spotless Carharts...I sort of glanced at him and continued to drag limbs. He watched both of us for a bit..then politely asked " Can I help you fellers do that ?".
I took a moment and explained that nobody was going anywhere till the tree was moved..so grab a limb.
What a culture.
I cut limbs and trees for myself and friends till Thursday evening..when food poisioning stuck its evil little clutches into my gut and ripped out everything there for 3 days. Seems the fast food joints decided to sell stuff instead of throwing it out....0 -
Highball,
Glad to hear you are ok. I had not heard from you in a few days and was hoping you were ok.
That being said, what happened in your parts should go to show how UNPREPARED people are for a small emergency, let alone a disabling disaster. Also should go to show how only a few are worth their salt in a crisis.
Glad to hear from you again.0 -
Thanks, Freemind; Just a ten day hietus..and a total balls-up for some people.
Most of the people in the immediate area fared rather well..some just went South till the Sun shone again and holed up.
Washing in cold water was a throw-back to the kid years..but pouring water in the toilet tank was simple, compared to the old two-holer days...all that water I keep around came in handy..,.[:D]0 -
Isn't power great? Mine was turned on yesterday about noon, it went out last Tuesday night. The apartment stayed in the high 30s and low 40s the whole time. So, most of the stuff in the fridge and freezer survived. My older brother and sister-in-law lost power in OK the Sunday before me, and got it back sometime around Monday as well. There's still huge chunks of Manhattan without power. I still had hot water at least. Glad you came trough it alright. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by Highball
and crapped all over us here in Oklahoma.
Lost power 7 A.M. Sunday..ten days ago.
Water out for 5 days.
Landline phone 7 days.
Got it back 3 PM this afternoon.
We had twelve days without a glimmer of sunshine...and rain, sleet, snow, or ice for at least 7-8 of those days.
The trees and power lines built up an inch or more of ice...and broke. Upwards of 600,000 homes, businesses, ect. out of power.
There were 1200 highline poles down within 20 miles of the house...and every tree on the property lost almost every branch on the tree. Two days running, I cut my way out of the yard..limbs were steadily breaking for two full days.
I was amused...as down to the local Wally Worlds (power was gotten to them quickly) people were in full panic mode...buying every flashlight, battery, lamp oil, candle, camping gear they could lay their hands upon.
I never fired up my 6000 watt generator..saved for emergency usage. Didn't really consider it an emergency.
[;)]
A bit of weather and things just fall apart for most. Next thing you know, the Fed will declare a disaster and send in the money and the ARNG to help you poor folks who just can't help yourselves.
Good to hear from you Highball and good to see that there are a couple "rugged individualists" left in your neck of the woods.0 -
We sent a few pallets of generators, gas cans, flashlights & batteries to Tulsa on Friday, truck should have been there today............
Don0 -
After a power outage, you should have known better than to eat at a fast food joint. [xx(]
Good to hear you made it through OK.0 -
quote:After a power outage, you should have known better than to eat at a fast food joint.
This is the learning curve that separates the living...from the dead.
What dosn't kill you..makes you stronger.
Captain;
Was an invigorating 10 days. Absolutely proves that life is sweeter when when one is engaged in the struggle..rather then the pablum of hum-drum existance.
I view extreme weather much as I view government..an uncaring,elemental force of nature..eager to kill you for the slightest misstep..and something to be beaten on its own terms.0 -
Highball, what kind of heat do you have with power out? 0 -
How much gasoline do you stockpile? I have about 20 gallons that I rotate through. It's about 10 gallons a day to run my generator but I turn it off at night to be polite to the neighbors so I can stretch 20 gallons for a week. We've had a few multi-day outages (longest was 5 days).
When I used to have a boat in the backyard, I'd fill up that tank as well in case I needed more.0 -
Highball, I thought you were in Maine for some reason. Heck, you're not that far from me here in CO. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by Highball
I took a moment and explained that nobody was going anywhere till the tree was moved..so grab a limb.
What a culture.
Highball, glad you survived. [:D]
I would have been surprised if it had been otherwise.
It's been a while since we had a real "tree breaker" here. The last one we had, after we could get out and about, I went to town and on the way home there was a big oak tree across both East bound lanes of US-58. I was about the third vehicle to get there. I took out the old bow saw and started cutting wood and everybody else was throwing it off the road.
Here comes a little Toyota 4WD. The guy gets out and tells us it's going to take forever and a day to do it the way we were doing it. He needs us to get out of the way so he can drag the tree off the road. I get back in the truck, back off, and sit there watching the show.
After he burned up a set of tires and caused his Toyota to make funny noises, he came over to the truck and said "can I borrow your bow saw?"
"What a culture."0 -
quote:After he burned up a set of tires and caused his Toyota to make funny noises, he came over to the truck and said "can I borrow your bow saw?"
"What a culture."
Now THAT caused an almost calamity..snorting out cold Bud ain't funny !!
At one time, I kept a couple hundred gallons of gas around. Seems to no longer keep well...becomes a varnish, almost. Sta-Bil is supposed to keep it viable...but pouring it into anything save a carburated engine after a month or two seems folly to me...just looking at it and smelling it.
Perhaps I am wrong about that...
I keep enough to get me several hundred miles...if that becomes necessary.
I have electric heaters..propane, 500 gallon tank with ceramic 5-panels..(EXCELLENT source of heat)..and airtight woodstoves held in reserve...could be put up well before propane runs out.0 -
Those propane ceramic 5 panel heaters are great!
I have one like it but it is blue flame.
I bet they will sell a million of these heaters in your area, once the smoke clears from this ice storm.
Even in a nice suburban house with a central furnace, it is so cheap to get the gas company to install one of these in the living room. You can get it done for $300 to $400.
You just let it set there, it might be ten years, until the next ice storm. Then it is your life saver. Damn I hate living in a cold house!
If you don't like the looks of the little champion, just build a little cabinet to cover it.0
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