FRANKENSTORM CHECK-IN THREAD

Weeze.. Did you send your snowy tree pic to abc?.. Saw one in brick on the news

I think one of the hardest things to watch is people standing in the cold to get their gas cans filled for their generators. The marines have been working on Staten Island I believe. It was wonderful to see on the news.

There are crews in NJ from just about everywhere. I think the problem as I see it is the electric companies move the crews around based on some info. As the crews go around and see things that they could fix easily - they aren't allowed to. They are on the way to elsewhere. And the info coming from the companies is really lacking.

I would have thought after the storm last year there wouldn't be so much to "fix" this time around.

Just my 2 cents.

The utilities response to Sandy was just about what it was after Alfred & Irene....even though I'm not a fan of CT's governor, he said he was not happy with the response, & was holding them accountable...fines...we'll see if it happens......The power companies had a week to prepare for Sandy, & they didn't call for outside help until several days after the storm....didn't want to pay for housing them....Pixie, my stepson, Mike, wasn't badly hit by that ice storm in Kport, so he took his chainsaw & went north.....very humbled by the damage.....

All the pols were bragging about how prepared they were for this one. Then when the response is horrid, they blame the utilities alone and act like the enforcer. It's a joke.

Elsie, I agree with your "move crews around with some info" scenario. In our last two major power outage storms down here (mainly downed tree damage) line and wire crews had to wait for the large tree removal contractors/crews and then had to wait on pole replacement equipment/crews who had to wait on a shipment of telephone poles.... and on and on. There was also a shortage of "transformers" and "switches' and various parts. (How long does it take to grow a tree to pole size?)

Some neighborhoods invited their work crews to the cul de sac cookouts and then took homebaked goodies and hot coffee to the local staging areas, etc. "Why boo when you can bake" is one quote I recall!

1st this disaster is HUGE. 2nd - some things take place behind the scenes, you dont see them there but they are. Normally the 1st to go in is the American Red Cross and in conjunction the Army Corps of Engineers. The 1st priority is just to get disaster relief people in to help without getting killed, which consists of food & blankets. 3rd - FEMA - they are out there working getting places for people to move into, places to rent etc. Yes since this disaster is so big and so many places totally destroyed, it cant be done with a click of the fingers, no matter how you look at it.

Army Corps of Engineers - Bridges, Buildings & Structures
Red Cross - Food/blankets
Fema - Housing Rentals/Tent Cities up here it cant be/Katrina was Campers, that is not going to happen up here. So who knows? All I know working for FEMA is its going to cost a ton of money & time

This message was edited Nov 9, 2012 9:24 AM

Victor, your anger and frustration is totally understandable. Hope your extende family has power restored soon and can join the ranks of us looking for longer term resolution of ongoing problems with our energy supply/demand usage and distribution systems block by block and state by state, (and forgive my overstatement ) in a world where food clothing and shelter are still necessities but not 'givens'.

I'm thinking that all those who were able and farsighted enough to install grid tied solar at their homes will be looking for ways to supply their own homes with some electric while the sun shines but THE GRID is down.

Have heard there is a new career/degree called something like "Supply Chain Management" How many utility poles should the East Coast stock pile/grow for the next No'easter?

Peace all and warmth and food and diapers for the duration. And friends and neighborly neighbors and caring hands and hearts along the way.

I just read that I man powered his house with his Prius. Victor - as our resident Electrical Engineer - is that possible?

Want to hear from Victor too, but- I have read of certain things like sump pump which can be powered by using a car battery, an inverter, and don't know if other things involved.

I think our utility has cut its workforce to the bone over the last decade, and outsourced, so when these things happen they have fewer people to call on. Its the salaries and bonuses to the execs of those companies that really gall me. Really. How much (blanking) money does one person need?

2 Saturdays in 2 months the electric guy came and read our meter. I said geeze your doing this on Saturday he said Yes. I said wow and its overtime and he said YES - go figure.

Sally, We have an inverter battery and had just started to run it when our power came back, it is supposed to run for about 5 house then recharge from your car battery.

Sitting here with a nine month old and an 18 month old, the heat is on along with the TV, so counting my blessings and praying for those without power to be able to stay warm and find comfort.

Baptist Men has organizations everywhere. There are least 10 chapters in the DFW Metroplex. On the first day the call went out to all to send everything they've got. I live 1/2 mile from 35E and when I have been on the road I have seen caravans of utility trucks, tree cutters, pick-ups with obviously individual volunteers all heading North. Those who are able are headed your way. Then there are the logistics of feeding and sheltering all of these people. Never ending.

Anger is part of the grieving process and I share your feelings today.

Sure - some limited power by the Prius is possible. But its own batteries have to continue to be recharged. Just need an inverter to convert the direct current from the batteries to household ac.

cole - I have solar. Problem is - to qualify for for the tax incentives, and without them the cost was prohibitive - you had to permanently tie into the grid. No cutoffs, so when the utility power goes, you get nothing from the solar.

I really feel for all the people who are still without power. That is unimaginable to me to be without power for a great length of time. Even one day is bad, IMO. I just think of all the things I can't do when there's no power.

We have been thinking for quite some time now that we would love to get solar panels put up, and possibly a windmill. Sure would be nice, but would take big bucks that we don't have. It would save us a lot of money, though, and if you have extra power, the local power company will buy it from you. If we ever get the chance to do it, we will.

Karen

Victor, we cross posted. That bites! And it's totally unfair that you have to do that to get the tax cuts. Wow!

Karen

Many states have reduced or eliminated the incentives because of their budget problems. NY no longer offers what it did when I went for it. I ended up paying for about 1/3 of the total.

I don't know what MA offers. Will have to check into it.

Karen

Sandy wrecked this family's lives but human kindness is helping to keep the survivors together. I was reduced to tears once again while reading this, but it warmed my heart that people reached out so quickly!!
http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/strangers-raise-56k-help-kids-whose-parents-died-180400036.html

What a tragedy! And what a burden for a 19 year old....my prayers go out to those kids......

Glad to see we all seem to have made it through the storms without the tragic losses I've seen on TV. It's the generosity of people helping others that brings me to tears and so many have been so blessed to have help from strangers as well as neighbors and family.

We were only without power for about 18 hours but the old desktop died so now I'm at my new Toshiba touch screen laptop and happy to be back on DG.

The storms were bad enough but today Jack told me that Mayor Bloomberg won't allow food donations because he can't be sure of fat content. Hard to believe it but I think he did the same thing during hurricane Irene in 2011.

Thank you for your concern, especially Celeste and Bill. The caladiums lasted up until the 70 MPH winds but a few new leaves are coming out! Amazing product, Bill.

Welcome back!

Hi Pirl! You figured out the laptop, I knew you would!!
I agree, people helping people really have touched my heart, it's done me al ot of good to be honest. ^_^

It's been a slow and excruciating process to learn everything anew plus Windows 8 and this keyboard but I'll get through it somehow.

The one photo that brought instant tears was the fireman walking down a street, in devastated Long Beach, with his son who was holding the American flag. The fireman had lost his home but still took the time to show support to others in the same "boat". America is so good with people helping people but government agencies have not performed anywhere near as well as they should have. No matter how often tragedies happen it seems the gov't is unaware people need water, generators, shelter, food, help with rebuilding and not paperwork! It's always the same lame stories people get when they are in such dire predicaments.

So glad that you are with us, Arlene. We were all worried until we heard earlier that you were all right.

This message was edited Nov 9, 2012 10:26 PM

Thank you, Lucy. We were fine throughout the storm though our neighbors, across the street - on the water, did have flooded basements.

Woohoo!! Sooooo glad you made out as well as you did, Pirl. It's one thing to hear, but even better coming from the horse's mouth.

What a lovely young woman that girl turned out to be! A definite testament to her family's upbringing.

hey Arlene.. glad to hear from you!!... Victor I can't believe your solar panel is worthless when the power goes out.. that stinks!!

there are 2 kinds of sub pump backups I found.. don't have either.. wanted to do more research before diving in
one is with a battery
http://www.abt.com/product/58621/Basement-Watchdog-BWE.html?utm_source=scfroogle&utm_medium=sc&utm_campaign=BWE&adtype=pla
and the one with water powered backup
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/video/0,,20260244,00.html

Actually would not have helped much this time as the weather was so gloomy for so long after the storm.

This message was edited Nov 9, 2012 8:52 PM

very true

Yes Arlene so glad to hear from you!!

Sad story, Celeste, but so nice there are good people out there to help out.

Pirl, I lost the original hard drive in my desk top. Been without a computer for a week and a half now. Good thing I had a second hard drive in that computer. They're going to put a new operating system in the second, much larger hard drive, and I'm also having them put in more RAM and a DVD drive. I wanted to put in a faster processor, but they said the larger amount of RAM, and the fact that the other hard drive is not packed to nearly capacity, should be enough for it to work faster. Very nice to hear from you. Glad you got through the storm alright.

Karen

There are things to remember through this disaster. I was at my cousins home tonight. There were 4 couples at the gathering. One couple was living at the other couples house(no choice, their house was gone). I was known as the "creative coffee" person. I had a gas stove that worked. I made coffee, so people came to my house to get their caffeine. Another night, we went to another house to cook up the steaks that wouldn't last any longer in someone else's freezer. That house had TV.....o boy o boy..to see tv was a treat, but that's when I saw the devastation of Dexter's Bridge (made me cry) along with other devastating visuals. I realized how fortunate I was. My house was standing. This was not a little storm, it was not a nor'easter that we curse about, it was a monstrous storm. It went from the Carolinas to Rhode Island and beyond. But what is important , we will pick ourselves up, dust off the sand (or bulldoze it) and make sure we are ready for 2013.

We are the northeast and the midatlantic, the founding states of this country. We're tough!

And what is it that we are supposed to remember?......that we will always help each other. FEMA and the Red Cross were in NJ in the blink of an eye (can't speak for other states) but it's you're family, neighbors, and friends that have your back. It's a wonderful, beautiful thing.

yes it is.. I was saying this whole time.. I am so heartfelt over the neighbors here.. so glad you have great ones too

Well said, Weeze. Would like to think our community would do the same.

I agree....in times of dire need, it's your neighbors & townsfolk who step up to the plate.....

Good to hear from you Pirl

Love hearing stories of people working together

Tons of debris in the Potomac

Second niece in Hunterdon county got power back today. Her brother still does not have power. He lives near Frenchtown.

Our friends are so glad they moved out of Frenchtown

As it was they were out of power over a week in Hopewell Township, good thing they had a generator
A couple in church was out for 12 days with NO generator

My friend in Howard Beach was out 12 days.

My cop BIL was over yesterday. Heard horror stories from the Rockaways.

Allison, thanks for the sump backup links- Note though the water power one uses city water , so not for well water homes.