"Monster Storm"? Will the power go off - or won't it?

[C.Ann]

Well - the nasty storm arrived here overnight.. No school for the kids today.. It's kind of hard to tell what the accumulations are because we had snow a few days ago.. It's a steady, fine snow - but I guess it's supposed to change to freezing rain later on.. Dson-in-law made an extra pot of coffee before he left for work this morning and put it in two thermoses for me "just in case".. LOL..

I was reading online that the Great Lakes area of NY could end up with 3 FEET of snow from this storm!!!! So glad we don't live there - and good luck to all of you who do..

It will be interesting to see how this all pans out.. Everything I've read online refers to this as a "Monster Storm" that has - or will have - a substantial impact on 2/3's of the country!

Be safe - wherever you are..

 

[golfgal]

It makes me wonder about other parts of the country and their power systems when people lose power so easily. OK, I can understand at your lake where houses are few and far between but in a city??? I posted on the the other thread, we have been without power for MAYBE and hour in the past 4 years. I think we lost power for a couple hours once about 10 years ago because a truck crashed into a transformer near our house.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

It makes me wonder about other parts of the country and their power systems when people lose power so easily. OK, I can understand at your lake where houses are few and far between but in a city??? I posted on the the other thread, we have been without power for MAYBE and hour in the past 4 years. I think we lost power for a couple hours once about 10 years ago because a truck crashed into a transformer near our house.

Here on the bottom of this storm we are getting 40-50mph winds. It is knocking down power lines and we are having random outtages that way.

 

[SaraJayne]

It makes me wonder about other parts of the country and their power systems when people lose power so easily. OK, I can understand at your lake where houses are few and far between but in a city??? I posted on the the other thread, we have been without power for MAYBE and hour in the past 4 years. I think we lost power for a couple hours once about 10 years ago because a truck crashed into a transformer near our house.

When the wind is sustained around 45 mph, with gusts around 55+, it's no wonder that the power is going out in this storm.

Our power has flickered a couple times, but is still on for now.

 

[golfgal]

When the wind is sustained around 45 mph, with gusts around 55+, it's no wonder that the power is going out in this storm.

Our power has flickered a couple times, but is still on for now.

Like I said, it makes me wonder about the powerlines in the rest of the country--we have the high winds and snow too.

 

[OK!]

Here on the bottom of this storm we are getting 40-50mph winds. It is knocking down power lines and we are having random outtages that way.

It sounded like a freaking tornado when I opened the door to let the dogs out this morning! Scared the daylights out of me. We've lost power once for a couple of minutes maybe half an hour ago; I'm hoping that's the end of it but won't be surprised if it isn't.

 

[C.Ann]

It makes me wonder about other parts of the country and their power systems when people lose power so easily. OK, I can understand at your lake where houses are few and far between but in a city??? I posted on the the other thread, we have been without power for MAYBE and hour in the past 4 years. I think we lost power for a couple hours once about 10 years ago because a truck crashed into a transformer near our house.

This area isn't "city" - although the surrounding cities often loose their power as well.. At the lake I lose power less frequently than they do right here (which is a far more populated rural/suburban area).. That wasn't always the case though.. There was a time when I would lose the power at the lake if a mosquito flew by (LOL) but they have done an amazing job of upgrading their grid systems up there.. During the summer the power went off down here numerous times, but only a few times at the lake (and not for long periods of time)..

I've never heard of an area that never loses their power - or only once in 4 years.. The power providers in your area must really be on top of their game - with the newest and best grid systems.. You're sooo lucky!

 

[SaraJayne]

Like I said, it makes me wonder about the powerlines in the rest of the country--we have the high winds and snow too.

Most of our power lines are still above ground...as are many other parts of the country.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

It sounded like a freaking tornado when I opened the door to let the dogs out this morning! Scared the daylights out of me. We've lost power once for a couple of minutes maybe half an hour ago; I'm hoping that's the end of it but won't be surprised if it isn't.

Oh yea. DH and I were sitting here this morning and heard a loud noise on the house. We both said, that doesn't sound good. One of the dogs I have BARKS at the wind outside.

Later of course we found that some siding came off the house. I keep watching my Christmas decorations. I have a staked spiral tree in the yard.

 

[golfgal]

This area isn't "city" - although the surrounding cities often loose their power as well.. At the lake I lose power less frequently than they do right here (which is a far more populated rural/suburban area).. That wasn't always the case though.. There was a time when I would lose the power at the lake if a mosquito flew by (LOL) but they have done an amazing job of upgrading their grid systems up there.. During the summer the power went off down here numerous times, but only a few times at the lake (and not for long periods of time)..

I've never heard of an area that never loses their power - or only once in 4 years.. The power providers in your area must really be on top of their game - with the newest and best grid systems.. You're sooo lucky!

Most of our powerlines are buried in the ground so not subject to weather which is why we rarely lose power. Again the only time we have been without power for any length of time is when a truck crashed into a transformer-and that wasn't weather related at all--it was a beautiful summer day and none of us could figure out why the power was out--we were all checking our circuit boxes .

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Most of our powerlines are buried in the ground so not subject to weather which is why we rarely lose power. Again the only time we have been without power for any length of time is when a truck crashed into a transformer-and that wasn't weather related at all--it was a beautiful summer day and none of us could figure out why the power was out--we were all checking our circuit boxes .

Maybe this will help explain things. Who knew?

Since cold air is denser than warm air, winds of 40 to 50 mph can do more damage than the same winds in milder weather, so power outages may well be an issue by Thursday morning.

http://www.examiner.com/x-3854-Cinc...y2009m12d8-Rains-arrive-bitter-cold-to-follow

 

[chisnpeke]

I'm hoping we can keep our electricity. Most of our power lines are above ground, like another poster said.

 

[C.Ann]

Most of our powerlines are buried in the ground so not subject to weather which is why we rarely lose power. Again the only time we have been without power for any length of time is when a truck crashed into a transformer-and that wasn't weather related at all--it was a beautiful summer day and none of us could figure out why the power was out--we were all checking our circuit boxes .

Here's a snippet from one of the television stations here on Dec. 12th of 2008:

There are hundreds of thousands without power outages all over the Capital Region Friday, and National Grid reports it could be days before power is restored to all its customers.

In Albany County there are more than 60,000 customers without power followed by Schenectady County with 37,000 offline, 35,700 without power in Rensselaer County, more than 25,000 customers without power in Saratoga County and 15,000 in Columbia County. Also without power, 6,000 in Schoharie County and 5,500 in Washington County.

Patrick Stella from National Grid says they have called in crews from from all over, even as far as Michigan. Stella says they hope to have a better idea of when power will be restored later today.

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Not uncommon at all.. In NY it's also common for squirrels to cause damage to the transformers as well, so it could be a gorgeous day - nothing going on weather wise - and all of a sudden, boom - no power.. LOL..

 

[golfgal]

Here's a snippet from one of the television stations here on Dec. 12th of 2008:

There are hundreds of thousands without power outages all over the Capital Region Friday, and National Grid reports it could be days before power is restored to all its customers.

In Albany County there are more than 60,000 customers without power followed by Schenectady County with 37,000 offline, 35,700 without power in Rensselaer County, more than 25,000 customers without power in Saratoga County and 15,000 in Columbia County. Also without power, 6,000 in Schoharie County and 5,500 in Washington County.

Patrick Stella from National Grid says they have called in crews from from all over, even as far as Michigan. Stella says they hope to have a better idea of when power will be restored later today.

-------------------------------------

Not uncommon at all.. In NY it's also common for squirrels to cause damage to the transformers as well, so it could be a gorgeous day - nothing going on weather wise - and all of a sudden, boom - no power.. LOL..

We would need a tornado, well several of them, to knock out that many customers here. Even last August when there were several tornadoes that went through Minneapolis and the eastern suburbs only 8000 people were without power and even then only maybe overnight.

 

[golfgal]

We do get these road conditions though

well dang, the picture won't post http://www.startribune.com/local/78...qyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aU1yDEmP:QMDCinchO7DU

Here is the link

 

[Sorsha]

The storm that you guys are getting started out up here in my neck of the woods. It swept out of Canada last weekend, not really doing too much, just got COLD. After it swept through we have been so darn cold - this morning was the first time the thermometers read above zero since Sunday... and it was 1° - a heat wave. Our wind chills were in the -20° range. So then the system moved into Wyoming and Colorado and collided with warmer, moister air and POOF a monster storm. I am glad to not have to deal with a blizzard, but I would almost have preferred the snow over the bitter cold.

We don't lose power very often, but it does happen. Montana is an annoying mix of old and new when it comes to our power grids. We have large, usually unprotected substations and transformers and long stretches of aboveground transmission lines. Many of our utility poles are old and isolated. As new houses and buildings are built, they are putting all the new wires underground, but they are still connected to the old ones. We seldom have lines or poles come down, but it does happen, and since our transformers usually serve large areas, many many people lose power when that happens.

 

[Papa Deuce]

It makes me wonder about other parts of the country and their power systems when people lose power so easily. ....

I think we lose power on every 3rd Tuesday of the month, when someone sneezes, and "whenever the Pope changes his socks", as my mom would say....

I think they are planning a major upgrade in my area soon.

I sure hope so... we lose power about 15x a year, I bet.

 

[adkkev]

Here's a snippet from one of the television stations here on Dec. 12th of 2008:

There are hundreds of thousands without power outages all over the Capital Region Friday, and National Grid reports it could be days before power is restored to all its customers.

In Albany County there are more than 60,000 customers without power followed by Schenectady County with 37,000 offline, 35,700 without power in Rensselaer County, more than 25,000 customers without power in Saratoga County and 15,000 in Columbia County. Also without power, 6,000 in Schoharie County and 5,500 in Washington County.

Patrick Stella from National Grid says they have called in crews from from all over, even as far as Michigan. Stella says they hope to have a better idea of when power will be restored later today.

-------------------------------------

Not uncommon at all.. In NY it's also common for squirrels to cause damage to the transformers as well, so it could be a gorgeous day - nothing going on weather wise - and all of a sudden, boom - no power.. LOL..

C. Ann ... that was last year's ice storm, and all that ice knocked down trees and power lines all around the Albany area. Some of those areas are pretty rural and it took quite a while for National Grid to get their crews in there to fix things ... lots of roads were impassable with all the trees and such on the roads.

As I drove down the Thruway that day on my way into work I was amazed at the ice buildup on the trees ... we had gotten all snow and no ice, so we didn't lose power at all. We have power outages in the summer due to substation failures usually.

 

[funkychunkymonkey]

mom and grandmas area have no power. So far we have power here in the big city but Im waiting for us to loose it.The winds seeem to have died down a bit and the city has been out plowing. Still havent seen the bus (there still running) go by so I guess our street must still be bad.

 

[C.Ann]

C. Ann ... that was last year's ice storm, and all that ice knocked down trees and power lines all around the Albany area. Some of those areas are pretty rural and it took quite a while for National Grid to get their crews in there to fix things ... lots of roads were impassable with all the trees and such on the roads.

As I drove down the Thruway that day on my way into work I was amazed at the ice buildup on the trees ... we had gotten all snow and no ice, so we didn't lose power at all. We have power outages in the summer due to substation failures usually.

Yup - last year - as noted.. Ironic how close the date was to this storm - huh?

There was another big storm in the Albany area back in the 90's maybe? It was the first week of October - snow and ice - and there were soooooo many areas without power for a week or more (cities and rural areas alike).. The first day of the storm, when you stepped outside you heard nothing but tree branches snapping and breaking - it was eerie.. The second day? All you heard was chain saws.. LOL.. That was one heck of a storm.. For the most part the power company used a priority list to get people up and running again.. The "cities" - where you had the greatest populations in one concentrated area were first - and then they moved out from there to the suburbs and more rural areas..

It's so common in NY - it really surprises me that other states with wintry conditions don't have these issues..