I'm Baaaaaaack...

[n2ize]

Been a rough 5 days but not bad in retrespect. We survived. I lost electrictiy, phone, internet, heat, etc. etc. on Monday Oct 29th at 5:39 pm, just around the time the hurricane made landfall. The winds struck us very harde here. All I could see outside was power flashes as wires fell and transformers burned. Down the hill from me a large tree fell and tore down all the wires, busting 2 poles in half. Both these poles had transformers mounted atop and needless to say, they fell as well smashing open, pouring dielectric oil everywhere and burning. On the first day after to get to the store I had to walk rather near to downed primaries. Although the lines were dead there was always the risk they could come energized at any moment. Fortunately for me and others they didn't. A couple days later they made a safe path for people to pass and walk to get provisions.

Still many in my shire are without power. Feel bad for those in Queens, Brooklyn, SI, Manhattan, Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and ... so many places that had to deal with flooding from the ocean. So many are really suffering right now. I am among the luckier.

Now the big concern is gasoline. We are seeing gas lines, shortages, etc. Hopefully with power coming back and the ports reopened that situation will ease.

I expected my power to be out much longer . I was anticipating maybe another 5 days or even a week. I was preparing for a cold night. I was running out of lamp oil and candles.

[n2ize]

Just to mention. We had absolutely no flooding here. The nearby Bronx River which flooded during Irene last year was not even much higher than normal. This storm gave us very little rainfall here. It was mostly wind.

[WØTKX]

Glad to see ya. We wuz worried a little. How are your folks doing?

Got yer HT charged up to yak on the W2VL machine?

[w2amr]

Glad to hear you are OK John.

[N2NH]

Good to see you here John. Everything can be replaced except life. Did you read about the dumpster diving on the Key Food on Ave A?

[n2ize]

Glad to see ya. We wuz worried a little. How are your folks doing?

Got yer HT charged up to yak on the W2VL machine?

I'm charging it now. It is near dead as I was doing a lot of monitoring, listening to the weather radio, fire, cops, etc. I was particularly interested in what was going on in Brooklyn and Long island as far as the flooding. Those folks really got hit bad. Perhaps we can chat a bit later. For me it was hard to get used to life without electricity. Although I started reading more books and stuff. Today I went to the hardware store for lamp oil and candles and they were sold out !! Next time I am going to be better prepared. For one, I am buying a generator. And I am going to make sure I have a 2 week supply of candles, lamp oil, batteries, etc... on hand at all times. Several of my neighbors had generators. And the way the weather has been going there may very well be a "next time".

[n2ize]

Good to see you here John. Everything can be replaced except life. Did you read about the dumpster diving on the Key Food on Ave A?

I heard something on the radio about people going dumpster diving in places. Didn't hear anything specific about Ave A though.

[n2ize]

Glad to hear you are OK John.
Tnx George. How did you manage ? I was surprised to get my power back today. I was expecting to be out for at least several more days. I'll try and post a few pics of some of the damage that happened down the hill from me.

[ki4itv]

Good to see ya John. We were concerned about ya.

[NQ6U]

Glad to see you made it through the storm safely, John. I gotta ask, though: did the tree situation on your immediate property change?

[n2ize]

Glad to see you made it through the storm safely, John. I gotta ask, though: did the tree situation on your immediate property change?

No, aside from a few small branches my trees held up. Still, it's probably a good thing I didn;t put that antenna up a couple weeks ago. Now, with a lot more leaves gone it should be an easier job.

[n2ize]

Good to see ya John. We were concerned about ya.
Thanks for the kind thoughts. I got knocked out right about the time the storm made landfall. Not a whole lotta rain here but we were hammered by very hard winds. They really howled and shook the house. I guess i was on the really windy side of the storm this time. I am going to have someone over here later this month to clean the gutters and check the roof for any possible damage. I am glad the power and heat is back because it's supposed to get near freezing here tonight and maybe down into the 20's tomorrow night.

[N2CHX]

Yay!!!! John's back! I was worried. For real. Glad you're OK and you're back online. :dance:

Got a little something just for you...

http://storage.kellimcmillan.com/kmcmillan/Weed-smiley.gif

[N8YX]

Glad to see everyone made it through so far - but how about Warren and Sue, 'SFH...anyone hear from either of them yet?

[n2ize]

Yay!!!! John's back! I was worried. For real. Glad you're OK and you're back online. :dance:

Got a little something just for you...

http://storage.kellimcmillan.com/kmcmillan/Weed-smiley.gif
Merci merci... Thank you. That is very much needed at the moment :) BTW how did things go for you ? Did the storm impact your area ? if so how bad ? This was one big storm. Took days for the remnants of it to clear our skies.

[n2ize]

Glad to see everyone made it through so far - but how about Warren and Sue, 'SFH...anyone hear from either of them yet?

How did things go in your area ?

[kf0rt]

Yay!!!! John's back! I was worried. For real. Glad you're OK and you're back online. :dance:

Got a little something just for you...

http://storage.kellimcmillan.com/kmcmillan/Weed-smiley.gif

Indeed! Posted elsewhere but glad to see you survived it, John.

Has me thinking more of "preparations" here.

[K7SGJ]

Glad to hear you all made it through okay. Welcome back

[KG4CGC]

Been wondering and I was really concerned. Have you had to start eating out of dumpsters yet? FOX "News" says that you are.

[W2NAP]

good to see you back again..

id connect to the local echolink.. but im sure they wouldnt like our style of operation out here.

[W3WN]

Welcome back. Very glad to hear that you're OK.

[KG4CGC]

I remember this time last week.

[N2CHX]

Merci merci... Thank you. That is very much needed at the moment :) BTW how did things go for you ? Did the storm impact your area ? if so how bad ? This was one big storm. Took days for the remnants of it to clear our skies.

It was a non-event here. A little wind, some rain... I got a generator set up and got more food and supplies than I know what to do with.... And I owe you an apology, because I kinda poked fun at you about this and indeed, it wasn't quite the devastation you thought it could be but it was damn close!

[W5GA]

Glad you ok, John. Remember in case it becomes an issue....dumpster diving is preferable to McDonalds.

[n2ize]

Been wondering and I was really concerned. Have you had to start eating out of dumpsters yet? FOX "News" says that you are.
No, not quite. FOX is full of it. No dumpster dinners here. Matter of fact I was doing a lot of grilling of good steak. Better to cook it and eat it than let it go to waste. We got a lot of extremely hard wind but not much rain, 5 days without electricity, lots of broken poles and wires and some scary encounters with high voltage cables and some cold nights, but we did well. No flooding at all. Quite a few local stores across the tracks were open. It was just a matter of walking past the blown transformers and primary cables. Matter of fact the first day after the storm I got to the local pizzeria for a bite to eat and then the local wine/liquor store for some "anti-freeze". Actually , toweards the end I was getting sort of used to "life in the olde days". At night I was reading medieval literature by candle and oil lamp until I fell asleep. It was kind of romantic. But still I am glad to have the 21st century back.

[NA4BH]

Glad to see you're OK. I have several friends out on Long Island that are still without power.

[n2ize]

It was a non-event here. A little wind, some rain... I got a generator set up and got more food and supplies than I know what to do with.... And I owe you an apology, because I kinda poked fun at you about this and indeed, it wasn't quite the devastation you thought it could be but it was damn close!

No apologies necessary. The wind and swirling clouds from this storm started about 3 days before it actually hit. I knew something bad was coming but I didn't know how bad. At times I may have exaggerated a bit in jest but, when it finally came there was no longer any lofty jestfull spirit left within me. Day by day the winds and swirling clouds built up, little by little. As if the storm was teasing us with its slow, casual approach. Finally made landfall and we were hammered, worst than I thought for this region. But, I deserve no sympathy. The people who do are those who lie in the coastal communities. They got the worst of it, many lost everything and are salvaging what little is left. it will take years to fully rebuild their lives and communities. And many remnants of their past is forever lost.

[n2ize]

Glad to see you're OK. I have several friends out on Long Island that are still without power.
I feel for those on the Island. I was listening to reports coming in on the VHF radio and the Long Island "LIMARC" repeater. It was scary to hear it unfold. Homes flooded, FDNY firemen wading through waist deep water to try and rescue people trapped in homes, properties, possessions, cars, boats, etc. just washed away and all the time hampered by intense winds. Makes me thhink twice about ever moving to a coastal community.

[KG4CGC]

No, not quite. FOX is full of it. No dumpster dinners here. Matter of fact I was doing a lot of grilling of good steak. Better to cook it and eat it than let it go to waste. We got a lot of extremely hard wind but not much rain, 5 days without electricity, lots of broken poles and wires and some scary encounters with high voltage cables and some cold nights, but we did well. No flooding at all. Quite a few local stores across the tracks were open. It was just a matter of walking past the blown transformers and primary cables. Matter of fact the first day after the storm I got to the local pizzeria for a bite to eat and then the local wine/liquor store for some "anti-freeze". Actually , toweards the end I was getting sort of used to "life in the olde days". At night I was reading medieval literature by candle and oil lamp until I fell asleep. It was kind of romantic. But still I am glad to have the 21st century back.
Glad you're OK.
All the news outlets were reporting on how people were helping each other even though it was a difficult time while all FOX "News" did was report shit, shit and more shit. Even Shepard Smith had nothing good to say the whole time and he seemed like a pretty straight journalist until the past year or so. Well, compared to the rest of the crew at FNC.
I think a few years back, late 2005? It was out (power) HERE FOR A=BOUT 3 DAYS IN THE MIDDLE OF AN ICE STORM. The trees bent over and made contact with transformers all over the place and started fires and explosions. I used a catalytic tent heater as we both moved into a smaller bedroom and we were still packed under piles of blankets and feeling cold. The cats thought it was an adventure and started running around like school just let out. Last Winter however, it got cold for 2 weeks in December and that was it. I was cutting the grass into December and resumed again in early March.
Gotta love weather.

[PA5COR]

Good to see you back John, and the storm didn't do much damage.
Goes for all here on the Island though...

[w2amr]

Tnx George. How did you manage ? I was surprised to get my power back today. I was expecting to be out for at least several more days. I'll try and post a few pics of some of the damage that happened down the hill from me.No real damage. Only 3 blocks in the entire town without power for several days, and we had to live on one of them:mrgreen:

[N8YX]

How did things go in your area ?

Rain and gusts of maybe 60MPH peak...30-40MPH average Monday night into Tuesday. If this would have hit in summertime (as with Ike) damage would have been a lot more widespread as the trees would still have their leaves.

Glad to see you made it through okay. Our "out-of-power" experience in 2008 mirrors yours, except we lost a whole freezer full of food. Never again - Sunday afternoon I loaded that puppy up with ice in the form of frozen bottles of water - almost 250lbs worth in total.