Ike
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Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 22,888
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From: Covington WA, USA
Yeah. I sympathize.
Where I live, people lose power several times a year due to windstorms in the fall. It gets old very quickly. Lots of folks have generators. I'm thinking about buying one this year, before the wind season starts. When the power goes out, sometimes it's for a few hours and sometimes it's for a week.
(The storms are caused by a mismatch between atmospheric pressures on the two sides of the Cascade mountains, and a funnel effect where ocean winds sweep in between the Cascades and the Olympics. We have lots of trees to fall across power lines.)
Where I live, people lose power several times a year due to windstorms in the fall. It gets old very quickly. Lots of folks have generators. I'm thinking about buying one this year, before the wind season starts. When the power goes out, sometimes it's for a few hours and sometimes it's for a week.
(The storms are caused by a mismatch between atmospheric pressures on the two sides of the Cascade mountains, and a funnel effect where ocean winds sweep in between the Cascades and the Olympics. We have lots of trees to fall across power lines.)
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Joined: Jun 2005
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From: EstesPark/BocaRaton
^ And, like here, your trees grow pretty fast. These windstorms also happen frequently in Colorado, but things grow more slowly there, and they stay naturally pruned.
Houston, though, is no doubt a city of downed trees today.
After we spent a few days (and it was only 2 or 3, as I recall) without power after Wilma in 2005, I bought a 3.5kW generator, enough to run the refrigerator and some fans. And the computers and phone chargers, etc. I feel a lot better about dealing with a storm's aftermath, now.
Of course, a generator means you get to keep 5-gallon cans full of gas sitting around. I have 3, and I'll put the gas in the cars when the storm season is over. HPH
Houston, though, is no doubt a city of downed trees today.
After we spent a few days (and it was only 2 or 3, as I recall) without power after Wilma in 2005, I bought a 3.5kW generator, enough to run the refrigerator and some fans. And the computers and phone chargers, etc. I feel a lot better about dealing with a storm's aftermath, now.
Of course, a generator means you get to keep 5-gallon cans full of gas sitting around. I have 3, and I'll put the gas in the cars when the storm season is over. HPH
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Joined: Mar 2004
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^ I'm glad we don't have to deal with freezing down here.
We're sort of out in the middle of nowhere, so when we lose power during a hurricane it's usually for about a week. We're also on a well, which means no water, so we have to stay elsewhere until the power is restored.
We're sort of out in the middle of nowhere, so when we lose power during a hurricane it's usually for about a week. We're also on a well, which means no water, so we have to stay elsewhere until the power is restored.
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,102
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From: Greenville, SC
This is one of the most incredible radar images I have seen. The rain is streaming out of Ike all the way to SE PA!!!!
Click here to see the Nexrad composite
Click here to see the Nexrad composite
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 45,798
Likes: 8,305
From: Mish-she-gan
That Nexrad is wild. We been getting non-stop rain since last night from this.
Jim, nice to hear you are all fine.
As for power outages... our worst was a couple years ago, 4 days in the dead of winter. None-the-less I still refuse to get a backup generator.
Jim, nice to hear you are all fine.
As for power outages... our worst was a couple years ago, 4 days in the dead of winter. None-the-less I still refuse to get a backup generator.
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 37,474
Likes: 6,330
From: bolton
I saw that rain plume earlier today.
Very impressive.
I've toyed with the idea of a generator but it would have to be so large that it would be ridiculously expensive. We just have a lot motor driven active systems to keep the heat on.
Very impressive.
I've toyed with the idea of a generator but it would have to be so large that it would be ridiculously expensive. We just have a lot motor driven active systems to keep the heat on.
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,674
Likes: 10
From: Myrtle Beach, SC
Originally Posted by Yflyer,Sep 13 2008, 07:26 PM
This is one of the most incredible radar images I have seen. The rain is streaming out of Ike all the way to SE PA!!!!
Click here to see the Nexrad composite
Click here to see the Nexrad composite
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 22,620
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From: The (S)Low Country
Originally Posted by S1997,Sep 13 2008, 01:06 PM
Hi, everybody. 
Just checking in. We had a wild night.
A tree fell over on our back yard fence and took down the power lines, pole and transformer about midnight. Lots of sparks but no fire. The tree fell back onto the neighbor's house, but did not appear to damage it. So our power will be out for quite some time, alas. No other damage other than Direct TV dish down.
We are all fine; still can't get out because of fallen trees across the roads.
I hope everyone made it through ok!
More, later
Just checking in. We had a wild night.
A tree fell over on our back yard fence and took down the power lines, pole and transformer about midnight. Lots of sparks but no fire. The tree fell back onto the neighbor's house, but did not appear to damage it. So our power will be out for quite some time, alas. No other damage other than Direct TV dish down.
We are all fine; still can't get out because of fallen trees across the roads.
I hope everyone made it through ok!
More, later
Glad to hear from you, Jim!!! Hope cleanup is swift and that your power is back on soon. We lose power in our 'hood frequently. It is NOT pleasant, but from the news reports it appears that many really had much worse probs. Hope everything in your area returns to normal quickly.