After the storm.

[xiemoon]

So, we just got our power on about an hour ago.  The clock says it went out at 4:15pm on Sunday and we're just getting it back on at 7:15am on the following Sunday.  Just short of a week. 

What a trial!  In my entire life here I can't say that we've ever had a Hurricane in Ohio.  Those winds were fierce and caused lots of trees and branches to come down.  Telephone poles were bent or knocked over.  We were lucky.  A few years ago, a virus attacked all our trees, so they mostly got chopped down then so we didn't have any imminent dangers.  One tree in our backyard had to be cut down in the middle of the storm because it had grown over the wires, broke, and was then pulling the wires down.  Our awning was pretending to be a kite and had to be cut down (no saving it), and we lost our umbrella.

After the storm, we drove around to survey the damage and there were trees in houses and on cars!  All of our power company people were down south helping the hurricane victims there, so we had to wait for them to come back.  The trees knocked down lots of power lines and something like 200,000 people were without power. 

Why were we one of the last to get fixed?  That's what I'd like to know.  I went an entire week without seeing a single electric worker.  By Friday, I was starting to get pissed.  We were in a so-called "pocket" of people without power, so we weren't a priority since the people around us had power.  Even the rural areas got power before we did. 

Most of our food spoiled because ice was hard to find.  We saved the stuff we were eating and had in a big cooler, but some of the other stuff got too waterlogged once the ice melted.  I used Ziploc baggies to bag everything, but they flooded.  Thanks Ziploc.

I'm just glad that it's back on now.  I have lights and my fridge is cooling down so I can put what little food I have left in it.  I just hope the power stays on.  Now the power company is talking about raising the rates because of all the cost of repairing the damage from the storm...but what the hell have I been paying preventive maintenance for when you've been allowing the trees to grow up over the power lines?  Even in my own back yard?  I think not, DP&L.  You have failed and you stole my money.

[JessecaLynn]

Sep. 21, 2008 at 8:29 AM

They talked about raising rates here in MO after the ice storm this past winter when a lot of people were out of power for a week too.  It never happened.

[momof3girls75]

Sep. 21, 2008 at 9:33 AM

Gald you have power, and they better not raise our DPL, they get enough of ny $$$ already, lol!

[Malapertinent]

Sep. 21, 2008 at 2:41 PM

I can't imagine how it was for all of you, for THAT long!!  Especially with a baby!  I gotta tell you, I was completely floored to hear that the weather had traveled that far north and did the amount of damage it did.  Glad you all made it through and I would raise some serious hell about your power company, their impending fees and the lack of service provided, FOR SURE!!!!  How frustrating!

[devante9901]

Sep. 22, 2008 at 9:37 AM

Whew - glad you're powered up now.  We went without electric for something like 12 hours a couple years ago when I forgot to pay our bill.  Even though my husband went down and paid them during business hours, they "punished" us by refusing to turn us back on until the next day.  Anyway, my point was with all the whining around here, you'd think it was off a week. 

I'm glad you made it through!  What a huge pain in the rear it must have been.

[mrc809]

Sep. 22, 2008 at 2:34 PM

I am sorry to hear that you were out power for so long. I am sorry to say (& don't be mad at me..haha) that we do live in the area that is only 25 miles from Galveston, TX...we did just get our power on Saturday evening and had been out for 7 days as well. We completely lost all of our food because we were part of the mandatory evacuation so we drove west to stay at my in-laws. Luckily my husband and his father went to our home last week to throw out all the food in our fridge & deep freezer also cloroxing the heck out of it so they were spotless when we got back. I do sympathize with you and thank goodness you guys are safe....We finally got to come home to our house yesterday...putting stuff away, going to whatever stores were open and buying what ever they had out...some of our stores didn't have a lot of cold stuff because they were out of power for a week also.....sooo completely frustrating...I know!!!..And everywhere looked like a war zone with fences down, trees blown over, limbs/leaves on the ground, blue tarps on most of the houses..........On the lighter side if I see anyone from your area in our area I will tell them you guys need them back in Ohio!!..I did see electric trucks this morning as I was driving into work from: New York, Colorado, & Missouri...craziness! (I hope you were able to crack a smile on the last few lines)

[MZNESMOM]

Sep. 23, 2008 at 8:40 PM

Yeah, I always thought tornadoes would be what got us here! Never crossed my mind a hurricane would kick our butts. I'm so sorry you went w/out for so long. I can't figure power companies or grids. Our town is so small. I could probably yell up to my Mom;s. They only lost power for about 5 hrs. We were out for almost 20 hrs. And the school (just 4 blocks away) was out til Tues.So, no school AND no power. AAAHHHH. The boys played in the 1/2 a tree that fell n our front yard all day. It was a fort,a Star Wars planet and a safari.But a week. I'd go nuts.And I'm afraid they'd have to choke on those higher rates, But, I swear....the Amish that go through every day were laughing their asses off at us "English" mopping around w/out power :)