Greetings from h_ll, with pictures

[RSKY]

When the transformer that the line is attached to is in a ditch covered with three or four inches of ice you can be fairly certain there is no power to the lines. I counted eleven breaks in the line from my house to the 'main road' where our feed comes from. Generators were a concern but I never touched anything that I did not see was broken.

I apologize for not getting the pictures up but we have had one major crisis today (driving twenty five miles to eat at Red Lobster) and five or six minor ones (huge truck stuck in yard, etc.). Also I cannot find the cable to download pictures from my cel phone to the puter. So I will have to show the last ones first.

 

[RSKY]

Another delay. Very pregnant daughter and so-in-law have no power and are coming to spend the night. My mother is also still here. Will try to get pictures, in order, posted later tonight. I think you will find them very interesting.

 

[RSKY]

This is my first attempt to upload pictures so bear with me. The first is a transformer at the west end of Trailridge Road. Second picture was taken on a frantic 5 hour trip to get pregnant daughter whose husband was in Houston Texas for training. On a normal day the round trip takes less than an hour. Our antenna cleared the lines by about a foot. Later on the reverse trip home people were proping the lines with 2x4's or limbs to let traffic thru. By this time it had come out over the radio that the entire electrical grid was down. Also some of the pictures I will post show prople holding cable tv lines up. Most of these were just cut with limb cutters. On at least one country road an older semi truck was driven a few miles to knock down lines so a farmer could get to his elderly father. I understand that a larger tractor with front loader works even better.

 

[LBrown59]

On the other hand some unspoken rules evolved last week. For example, if you are driving down a road and come upon a power line hanging only three or four feet off the pavement you stop and wait. When the next car comes along from either direction you get out of your vehicle, grab the line and hold it up so they can pass under. Then they stop and hold the line up for you to pass. We have pictures of this. Some of you are going to say that is crazy, never touch a downed power line but when all the poles are down for miles and the transformers are on the ground covered with a couple of inches of ice it is perfectly safe.
RSKY

This is just plain dangerous bad advice.

 

[Matt_Jr]

Last year we lost power for 4 days after an ice storm. Had to use the fireplace for heat. Man that thing can eat a lot of wood. Getting up at 2:30 am to add to the fire 'cause it's below 50f in the house was no fun. Planning a wood furnace install now. I think the genny can handle a blower.

I couldn't imagine how bad it is to lose power as long as you guys did. I'm sure glad you have power now. I'm sure the rest of your family is glad you have power too.

 

[dmccarty]

After the hurricanes in the 90's followed by ice and snow storms it will take a few generations for our forest to recover. Still have hanging limbs in trees. The Red Cedars really got hit hard. We own a road on our place. It had been let go so that you could not drive a car up the road. Before we even signed the paper work I had cleared enough of the pines to be able to get to the end of the road.

The snow storm of 2000 hit and you could not walk up the road anymore. Most of the pines fell can criss crossed each other. What a mess. The cedars in the wood took it hard.

Then we had a few ice storms and more big snow storms. Thousands of cedars are bent over on our place. Then there are downed trees. Big ones to. Its a mess. I clean up what needs to be cleaned up. Mother nature made the mess and Momma will have to clean it up. Maybe my grandkids will see it.

Later,
Dan

 

[JB4310]

I'm a tree lover, not a tree hugger.
It's a real shame what a days worth of ice storm can do to 100 years of growth, with out a doubt way more widespread tree damage than ANY other natural disaster could ever muster up, exept maybe a narrow focused hurricane.

The scary thing is it can happen just about any where, in any given winter. just takes a couple elements to line up, you'd think it might happen more often. We've had our share of damaging ice storms here in New England, but none as destructive that I can remember, as you've had out there.

Good luck, stay safe.
JB.

 

[JB4310]

For example, if you are driving down a road and come upon a power line hanging only three or four feet off the pavement you stop and wait. When the next car comes along from either direction you get out of your vehicle, grab the line and hold it up so they can pass under. Then they stop and hold the line up for you to pass. We have pictures of this. Some of you are going to say that is crazy, never touch a downed power line but when all the poles are down for miles and the transformers are on the ground covered with a couple of inches of ice it is perfectly safe.

RSKY

I can understand and would do the same if I had to, but don't make the statement "perfectly safe" it should be treated like a loaded gun!
When things look like that, there's a good chance there's no power any where around, but you still have to have fear IMO.

JB.

 

[SPIKER]

Ice storm hit myplace like that 3 or 4 years back now still have stuff down in the woods from it. took the white pines around the house down to 40' telephone pole looking things.


I feel for ya, I was actually lucky only lost power for a few days that one... others were out for a few weeks in very near area to me.

Mark