Power back on after 5 days!

[demarpaint]

Just got my power back at about 0930 ET, been out since the storm hit. Another Nor Easter is going to hit tomorrow, just what we need! I would like to get gas though, lines are averaging about 4 hours, and there is no guarantee you'll get gas if you wait. Lots of morons on the gas lines with weapons, I missed a shooting by about 10 minutes the other night. I'm staying put today, it isn't worth waiting for gas.

 

[zzyzzx]

Originally Posted By: exranger06

I am a utility worker in CT. I'm not a lineman in the field, I'm an engineer who works in the office. When we get major storms like this, EVERYONE gets pulled away from their regular jobs and works overtime to get everyone their power back. I put in over 82 hours this week, and I was back in the office 6 AM this Sunday morning. I haven't seen daylight in over a week, I've had to sleep on a cot in the office, I've been living off of cold pizza and warm soda. We are all working so hard to get everyone their power back, and it's frustrating and maddening that people can be so ungrateful. I wish we could just not give those people their power back. The ones who understand and are grateful are the ones who make me feel good and make me feel like I'm making a difference. The fact of the matter is this: there was a LOT of damage and it's simply going to take a long time to fix.


Excellent post!

I'm also curious as to how long it takes to repair everything on the utility end even after everybody gets their electricity back. I assume that a lot of stuff gets patched that needs a good fix later and a lot of the normal redundancies still need to be put back in place.

 

[zzyzzx]

Originally Posted By: bigmike
Do many people have kerosene or propane heaters? I just don't get it, seriously. I have both, including a fireplace, and I live in one of the hottest states in the country. BTW, power outage for a week with 95 degree and hotter weather isn't very tolerable either.



It sucked to have no electricity or heat. I wore a lot and was fine when sleeping because I like it cold then. On the bright side, I'm guessing that food spoilage was at a minimum, since essentially your whole house is a refrigerator. My stuff in my freezer didn't melt one bit. I was only out for 2 days though. Would have been way more tolerable if my work had been open so I could be in the heat all day. That and with the amount of daylight this time of the year made it worse. You are correct in that it would have been worse if it happened in summer, but that did happen here as well.

To answer your question directly about kerosine heaters, I think not. No real reason for it in a place like Maryland where it usually isn't that cold and you can always dress for it even inside.

 

[VNTS]

It really depends on the damage. most of the storms up our way result in felled trees, limbs etc which results in down lines and sometimes broken poles. This results in faulted circuits and de-energized breakers/reclosers/sectionalizers etc

We patrol the circuits and fix the damage and re-energize them as fast as possible. Broken poles take the longest to repair.

Yes some of the damage is repired and prettied up later but we make sure it is safe. We had 100K customers out last week and had them all back in 2 days.

Excellent post!

I'm also curious as to how long it takes to repair everything on the utility end even after everybody gets their electricity back. I assume that a lot of stuff gets patched that needs a good fix later and a lot of the normal redundancies still need to be put back in place. [/quote]

 

[The_Jeff]

Around here they sometimes use these plastic looking pole "splints" that wrap around 'em.

 

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: bigmike
Originally Posted By: dailydriver
Originally Posted By: Rock_Hudstone
The weather then turned unusually cold as the days went on, people began, (and still are) searching for gasoline to power generators, if lucky enough to have one. A northeast power outage in November is whole other ballgame compared to the Gulf coast in August, as with Katrina.


Yes, and many of the southerners, and mid-westerners (who usually do not have to contend with Tornadoes in these ambient temps) on here just cannot seem to comprehend that fact.


Do many people have kerosene or propane heaters? I just don't get it, seriously. I have both, including a fireplace, and I live in one of the hottest states in the country. BTW, power outage for a week with 95 degree and hotter weather isn't very tolerable either.


Apartments and condos will not allow for these as there is no way to vent them most of the time. Many also do NOT have fireplaces, and NONE have wood-burning stoves.

As far as what is "tolerable", that somewhat depends on ones physical constitution, and BMI, to a point.

One who has MUCH body fat from excessive beer drinking/over eating/etc. combined with a sedentary lifstyle (I am NOT saying this is you in ANY way, shape or form!) will probably be able to "tolerate" lower constant temps than a very lean/fit person.

Just as that lean/fit person will probably be able to withstand a much higher constant ambient temp than the one with 50%+ body fat.

 

[bigmike]

Originally Posted By: dailydriver
Originally Posted By: bigmike
Originally Posted By: dailydriver
Originally Posted By: Rock_Hudstone
The weather then turned unusually cold as the days went on, people began, (and still are) searching for gasoline to power generators, if lucky enough to have one. A northeast power outage in November is whole other ballgame compared to the Gulf coast in August, as with Katrina.


Yes, and many of the southerners, and mid-westerners (who usually do not have to contend with Tornadoes in these ambient temps) on here just cannot seem to comprehend that fact.


Do many people have kerosene or propane heaters? I just don't get it, seriously. I have both, including a fireplace, and I live in one of the hottest states in the country. BTW, power outage for a week with 95 degree and hotter weather isn't very tolerable either.


Apartments and condos will not allow for these as there is no way to vent them most of the time. Many also do NOT have fireplaces, and NONE have wood-burning stoves.

As far as what is "tolerable", that somewhat depends on ones physical constitution, and BMI, to a point.

One who has MUCH body fat from excessive beer drinking/over eating/etc. combined with a sedentary lifstyle (I am NOT saying this is you in ANY way, shape or form!) will probably be able to "tolerate" lower constant temps than a very lean/fit person.

Just as that lean/fit person will probably be able to withstand a much higher constant ambient temp than the one with 50%+ body fat.


A kerosene heater only needs fresh air, so a cracked window would suffice. Same with a propane heater.

If I lived in a climate where certain things are necessities for my existence, then preparation should be done to ensure those are met.

What alternative nonelectric methods are available to those in the Northeast for heat? I'm assuming getting "fat" isn't really the answer.