Rookie night

[Flatbedford]

I was at my father's house clearing some downed branches for him and on the way home I couldn't believe how many smoking chimneys I saw. There are lots of homes with out electric and it was in the high 20s last night. Lots of fireplaces going for the first time, and lots of wet wood getting burned. My sister and her family gave up on her fireplace and found hotel room. My across the street neighbor told me that bought bundles of wood at Home Depot. I brought a tractor cart load over for him. I also gave some wood to my other neighbor for his fireplace. It was nice to share my wood with my non wood burning neighbors during a tough time. maybe now they'll understand what all the noise and wood pile s are about. Lots of very cold people out there again tonight. My wife does women's imaging at a hospital and she said that lots of her patients made appointments today just so that they could warm up. I sure am glad that I have a good stove, good wood, and I know how to use it. This is the first time we've been without power at my house for more than a couple hours since we bought it in 2003.

Oh yeah, you also got to love those LED headlights!

 

[EatenByLimestone]

LED headlights rock!

It's always nice to have a back up heat source.

We didn't get hit by the storm, but it seems like down south sure did.

Matt

 

[HotCoals]

Something to be said for being self sufficient for sure!

 

[begreen]

How extensive is the outage in your area flatbed? Northern Westchester only or up through Putnam and Dutchess counties too?

 

[Flatbedford]

I think Putnam and Dutches got hit pretty hard too! I know that Poughkeepsie was forecast to get 13 inches! My mother has no power in Brewster and there is no railroad North of Brewster either. A coworker of mine said that i84 was covered with trees from Danbury, Ct to Brewster.
NYSEG says more than 50% of their customers in Putnam and Dutchess counties have no power.
http://www.nyseg.com/Outages/outageinformation.html
I didn't go far from home yesterday and I am at work until late tonight so I haven't seen much yet. I'll be off work tomorrow so I'll get a better look around the area. What I have seen is quite a mess!

 

[begreen]

It's great that you are able to get out and help folks. Many were unprepared for this storm. Do they have an eta for power there yet?

I tried reaching my sister in Pound Ridge, but it sounds like they lost phone service too. Can't reach them by land or cell. They should be ok with plenty of wood and a generator, but they have a lot of trees around their property. Hope the damage wasn't too bad.

 

[BrotherBart]

Stop tomorrow and shake a lineman's hand. Those brave hardworking souls have a mess on their hands.

But watch the newspaper. Lots of stuff will be written bitching.

 

[Flatbedford]

I know that Con Ed is saying Wednesday night for most of it's customers. Your sister's power company is NYSEG. I don't know what they are saying. I would guess that things are pretty bad over there too. Pound Ridge is about 25 miles from me. They are on the far Eastern edge of Westchester county and I am on the far Western edge.

 

[fishingpol]

The first night without power is kind of fun being self-sufficient and all(not really), the second day just plain rots. Especially when the houses a few streets over have power. I heard enough bad stories from people today, and I think we were very fortunate. I always think, "someone is worse off than me". Especially the eldery or people without woodstoves...

 

[Flatbedford]

My wife told me that there is a crew working on our street right now. If they are still there when I get home around 11 tonight, I'll take a walk down and offer them warm drinks. It sucks to work outside in the cold. I have done it and I know. A lot of the crews are from out of state too. Sucks to be away from home and working in a dangerous, dark and cold environment. They may be on double secret overtime, but it is blood money.

 

[BrotherBart]

Surprisingly the lineman I have known get pumped when they know a big one is coming. They are a different breed of cat I tell ya.

As I said in another post, we have been without power for from five to seven days three out of the last five winters. Those guys are my heroes when the lights come back on at one in the morning in a snow storm and it is twenty five degrees outside.

 

[Flatbedford]

Surprisingly the lineman I have known get pumped when they know a big one is coming. They are a different breed of cat I tell ya.

I can see that, kinda like the way we stagehands get kinda pumped up when we know that we gonna pull a 40 hour marathon project like the one we are going to do here at the opera house later this week. Big overtime doesn't hurt either.

 

[Badfish740]

The first night without power is kind of fun being self-sufficient and all(not really), the second day just plain rots. Especially when the houses a few streets over have power. I heard enough bad stories from people today, and I think we were very fortunate. I always think, "someone is worse off than me". Especially the eldery or people without woodstoves...

Having to tend to the generator, stove, sump pumps, etc... I hadn't gotten out of the house much-today I had a chance to talk with the neighbors who actually stuck around (my next door neighbors went to stay with relatives) and they're sticking it out wrapped in sleeping bags and coats... I kind of feel like an ass for being one of the folks broadcasting to the neighborhood "HEY I HAVE POWER" with the roar of the generator, but I also can't imagine what would have happened without it. My wife would have had to leave the house with my daughter, all of the work I did in my basement would have been destroyed, etc...

 

[tfdchief]

One of the reasons I have always burned wood is the feeling of independence and self sufficiency. It is a good feeling. As a young boy scout, I took "Always Be Prepared" seriously......and still do.

Oh Flatbed, good for you for helping your neighbors. I have always gone out of my way to help my neighbors. And after my injury this summer, they all came without even being asked, looking for something to do. It was almost a fight to see who could get the yard mowed first. It always comes back.

 

[jharkin]

And it seems we have the usual darwin award candidates....

http://www.boston.com/Boston/dailyd...uunwSwl8xqbJL0cRIe3K/index.html?p1=News_links

 

[begreen]

Stop tomorrow and shake a lineman's hand. Those brave hardworking souls have a mess on their hands.

But watch the newspaper. Lots of stuff will be written bitching.

We thought they were gods. Brought them out coffee, cookies and hot cocoa.

 

[fishingpol]

Wow, bringing a charcoal grill into the house. Just wow.

 

[BrotherBart]

Stop tomorrow and shake a lineman's hand. Those brave hardworking souls have a mess on their hands.

But watch the newspaper. Lots of stuff will be written bitching.

We thought they were gods. Brought them out coffee, cookies and hot cocoa.

A few years ago I had to loan one my chainsaw because his wouldn't start. Of course I was the one that dropped the pine tree on the line in the first place. :red: I told him that I knew for a fact that saw could cut that tree.

When I told him that Junior the right of way manager was going to love sending me the bill he laughed and said "What bill?. All I saw was a pine tree broke and fell on the line."

I asked him what color he wanted his new pickup to be.

 

[Flatbedford]

My wife told me that there is a crew working on our street right now.

It was only the tree guys. Street is open, but still no power. I think the problem here is that my outage only affects about 50 customers and it looks like a pretty big repair too. That has probably pushed us to the bottom of the list.

I started this thread more about non wood burners burning and the implications. Smokey chimneys, wet wood, creosote, and the chimney fires. Those of us who are keeping our houses warm with no power do this all the time, and we are pretty good at it. I worry about all these rookies.

 

[MasterMech]

How extensive is the outage in your area flatbed? Northern Westchester only or up through Putnam and Dutchess counties too?

My Dad's place is in Millbrook - Dutchess County and he had 16-18 inches everywhere around him.

 

[ISeeDeadBTUs]

In case you are not aware, http://www.nyseg.com/Outages/outageinformation.html for NYSEG. From my experience during Irene, they don't update that site the way they should.

Lets face it . . . it's easy in the begining to be chivalrous about other people getting power restored before you . . . but after 48 hours in the cold/dark, you start to wonder why you have to be the last. Hang in there.

During Irene, NYSEG brought crews in from the midwest. They were so out of their element. The guys who hustle are the private contractors from around the Northeast who head out based on the forcast. They live on coffee, donuts, and prolly some speed too :zip: , plus the adreneline from figuring up the payday in their head. And the some of them will graciously give back some to the locals, eithe through brewskis or big tips at the nudie bars.

 

[begreen]

My wife told me that there is a crew working on our street right now.

It was only the tree guys. Street is open, but still no power. I think the problem here is that my outage only affects about 50 customers and it looks like a pretty big repair too. That has probably pushed us to the bottom of the list.

I started this thread more about non wood burners burning and the implications. Smokey chimneys, wet wood, creosote, and the chimney fires. Those of us who are keeping our houses warm with no power do this all the time, and we are pretty good at it. I worry about all these rookies.

That's the way it usually is for us. Town will have power on days before we do. Hunker down and prepare for the long haul. Nowadays they run these systems with skeleton crews and outsource the big outages. It takes several days for them to truck up here from Colorado, Idaho and Montana.

(This is why I need a generator that can keep the food safe for weeks, not just a few days.)

 

[begreen]

In case you are not aware, http://www.nyseg.com/Outages/outageinformation.html for NYSEG. From my experience during Irene, they don't update that site the way they should.

Wow, 2/3ds of their Westchester customers are still without power! Almost the same in Putnam County.

Here is CL&P's outage map. It looks like an overlay of the snow prediction maps.

http://outage.cl-p.com/outage/outagemap.aspx

 

[snowleopard]

Here's hoping that all in need have a good neighbor such as yourself, especially the old folks, the infirm, and those with small children in the house. Sounds like a time of hardship coming for many in terms of repairs. Here's also hoping that when it's all over, they knock on those neighbors' doors and say, "Tell me about your stove. You think that could work at my house?" Sounds like a time of hardship for many.

Last big power outtage happened here still comes up in conversation, and that was in '92, IIRC. A lot of people who were here pre-pipeline remember living for years without power. My kids think I'm silly when the lights start to flicker and I go fill the bathtub with flushing water, top off some drinking water pitchers, and put matchbooks next to the oil lamps (which always remain full). THey need their own stories before they'll see the sense of such.

 

[Fifelaker]

I have two friends that left northern Mi.Saturday to work on the lines back there. I do not know where they were dispatched to but this storm sounds bad. They have a hard job in front of them methinks. Stay warm be safe and thanks for all the pics.