I could see that scenario happening in the panhandle but it's all about the devastation in the news. Even if these places have generators at some point they'd run out of fuel. Lots of ways to me hurting down there!
You are 80, and live on the 20th floor of a high-rise with no electric for days!
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I feel bad for those folks. So much damage to the area. Also most of the time the generators in high rise buildings do not power the units in the building. It’s for things like safety lighting, elevators, fire systems etc.
PG&E has been shutting down power to a number of Northern California counties (Napa, Sonoma, Lake, Alpine, etc.) over the last few days, due to concern about the fire danger from possible downed power lines, given that it is Santa Ana season. Five percent humidity and 70 MPH winds will do that. I pity the folks who need electrical power at night for things like CPAP machines, ventilators, dialysis, or even refrigerated storage of foods and/or medicines. We could use a couple of days of rain to lower the fire danger.
I may have forgotten one, but having lived in the Pittsburgh area all my life, I cannot recall a single power outage that lasted more than 6 hours. I can't imagine going days, or weeks, without electric service. My heart goes out to all those affected.
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Its brutal. Longest I've been is 10 days. As a healthy, fit, middle aged man it was bad enough. I can't imagine how elderly, infirm or those with special needs do it.
Gas for generators is scarce. Ice for coolers is scarce. Sleeping is difficult when its 85 degrees and 80% humidity inside your home.
It wears on you. The simple things like using your laptop, charging your phone, grabbing a drink from the fridge.... you have to plan for all those things based on the amount of ice you have on hand, and how much gas you can get for your generator or car.
Local stores may be open, but good luck finding ice at any of them. Some roads are still closed, and you weigh whether the gas you use going to the store is worth it, or if it's better used in the generator to run the window ac unit in the bedroom.
I will say its gotten much, much better. The infrastructure and response has obviously improved. After Jeanne in 04, we were out 10 days, but Matthew in '16 and Irma last year, we were only out about a day.
Gas for generators is scarce. Ice for coolers is scarce. Sleeping is difficult when its 85 degrees and 80% humidity inside your home.
It wears on you. The simple things like using your laptop, charging your phone, grabbing a drink from the fridge.... you have to plan for all those things based on the amount of ice you have on hand, and how much gas you can get for your generator or car.
Local stores may be open, but good luck finding ice at any of them. Some roads are still closed, and you weigh whether the gas you use going to the store is worth it, or if it's better used in the generator to run the window ac unit in the bedroom.
I will say its gotten much, much better. The infrastructure and response has obviously improved. After Jeanne in 04, we were out 10 days, but Matthew in '16 and Irma last year, we were only out about a day.
I went 17 days after Jeanne. Some people share transformers w/ hospitals. I shared one w/ a Yogi Bear Campground.
Can't speak for being in a condo other than I wouldn't want to be in a condo. For an 80 y/o w/out an elevator or A/C, it certainly wouldn't be pleasant. 87 is correct in that it is all about the ice. Everything revolves around its availability.
Can't speak for being in a condo other than I wouldn't want to be in a condo. For an 80 y/o w/out an elevator or A/C, it certainly wouldn't be pleasant. 87 is correct in that it is all about the ice. Everything revolves around its availability.
You don't need a hurricane for that. Happened in the NYC blackout in 2003. No power also means no water.
LdN
I've been through well over a dozen hurricanes and not once did I have my water shut off. I do remember getting a boil notice one time.
If you live in a high rise (which I believe is the topic here) then the water is pumped to the roof tower and then flows into your apartment.
So, yes the water isn't shut off, but you have no water on the higher floors.
From your photos I thought you lived in a High Rise. If so perhaps your backup generator pumps the water (which is what happens in my FL building) however that only lasts so long.
And in the case of NYC noone had water.
LdN
Depends where you live. If it's a tower in NYC, it doesn't make it up 20+ floors without an electric pump
Gas and ice. Ice and gas.
On day 9 of the power outage, if someone had offered me $50 for a bag of ice I would have turned them down.
That's why a generator to run your fridge is necessary. We were able to keep about 4 fridges cold w/ one generator. But like you said, then you get into needing more and more gas. I remember the lines for gubbmint ice in PBGardens. People were pretty frazzled after a few days.
No matter your situation, everyone should be prepared for X amount of time without electricity (ie non-perishable food, jugs of water, propane, generator) based on your situation. FEMA is not a first-responder and the govt is not coming to help you immediately.
If you really want to be horrified about society without electricity, read the book, One Second After. It's about an EMP being set off over the US. I'm about 80% through it. I'm not a prepper, but I might be soon.
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_...x=one+second+after,aps,134&crid=28HFM9U9FOZT8
Heard on the news that around 83,000 PG&E customers in California will be without electricity for about one week.
I was well prepared. I certainly wasn't going to die of hunger or thirst. As I stated, for me it was simply the total lack of creature comforts in a high heat and humidity environment.
I have about 3 months of food and about 3 weeks of water on hand. I also have a fresnel lens "solar death ray" that will turn seawater into freshwater.
I read One Second After. While chilling, not quite entirely accurate. I worked with someone who did a lot of testing of consumer devices for the government in EMP environments.
The power grid would absolutely be fried, but most vehicles would still run. It would be really bad, and a lot of people would certainly die, but not quite as bad as the book portrays.
Local news reported that hotels and motels in the Jacksonville area are doing a robust business (before and after Hurricane Michael).
If a hurricane is a threat to our area here in NE Florida we just leave. We live on a barrier Island just five blocks from the beach and all of the bridges to the mainland are closed to traffic when a hurricane approaches, so staying in your house here is the height of stupidity. The local government warns us that if you are dumb enough to remain, well, you are pretty much on your own. Several of my neighbors have stayed and most wished they had not.
It's pretty damn frightening. We did not evacuate for Hurricane Frederic when we lived in Pensacola, Fla way back in 1979. I thought we were all going to die. And the damage it left behind was a jaw-dropping OMG site to see. Never again!
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Frederic
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Smart choice. We are in the same situation...barrier island, 3 blocks from the beach.
It's the coming back into the power outage. My job is inland. After Jeanne, the office was closed only 3 days. I had little choice but to come back and live in my house without power.
Work had AC and lots of ice. One of the few times in my life I wanted to go to work
Smart choice. We are in the same situation...barrier island, 3 blocks from the beach.
It's the coming back into the power outage. My job is inland. After Jeanne, the office was closed only 3 days. I had little choice but to come back and live in my house without power.
Work had AC and lots of ice. One of the few times in my life I wanted to go to work
One of my friends had to put up with a six-week power outage in the beach town next door to us. Good gawd, I can't imagine that misery.
I can remember when we didn't have electricity.
Kerosene lamps. wood fired cook stove and the ice man delivered blocks of ice.
Not sure of what your point is.....
Residents of Mexico Beach should be grateful that they'll only be without power for a month?
Glen Campbell used to say he grew up so poor w/ no electricity that they had to watch TV by candlelight.
He thinks this is a good time for him to inject some politics into the discussion. That's all.
The dereccho a couple of years ago took us out for 3-5 days in Columbus. Shut down my workplace too.
HIs point was that nobody gave a damn when (shhh brown) American citizens were without power for months.
Complete BS.
Having been through the aftermath of quite a few of these now, I can tell you that most people simply do not understand the magnitude of the effort. Debris. Lack of power. Lack of fuel.
When my power was restored after Irma last year, it was by a crew and truck from Atlantic City.
Trucks and crews from all over the Eastern part of the US converged on Florida to restore power. Transformers, cable and utility poles were pre staged outside the storm affected area. 17,000 workers and their trucks.
As an island, none of that was possible in Puerto Rico. The logistics effort to get the necessary equipment and there is an order of magnitude more difficult. How are you getting 17,000 workers and their trucks to Puerto Rico?
But that's not nearly as good of a story.
Test board in 3....2....1....
Know some slumlords in NY who do that to people. Add no water and no trash removal also.
He knows nothing about which he speaks obviously. Let's not even mention the current FBI investigation into the massive fraud and corruption in PR. I'm pretty sure that fraud and corruption do nothing to speed up storm relief.
Here is video of the staging area in Perry:
