The Ice Storm of 2013
We had an ice storm Sunday morning in my neck of the woods and we are now without power. About 4 am the final flicker of power ceased. It had been going on and off for about 3 hours previous to that and I was just praying we would make it through the worst without loosing power, but no such luck. The power companies website and phone service is down due to an overload of incoming calls trying to report power outages. Here in our village we normally drive around until we found the downed wire and then bring the power company to it, but not this time we haven’t even seen a power truck in our area.
I can’t believe they are saying December 28th before our power will be restored. I felt like I was living in the dark ages this morning, I read 2 magazines and did some mending. What else is there to do with no power? Then hubby and I jumped in the truck to run to TSC for a battery for the generator. After picking a path down all the roads with fallen limbs we finally arrived at our destination, and they too were without power. Thankfully they were letting people into the store with a flashlight to make a purchase, and you had to have cash no credit card machine with no power. I didn’t take my purse with me and hubby only had $80 on him, which is rare we hardly ever carry cash. We were able to get what we needed and headed home to hook up the generator.
I thought I kept hearing gun shots outside, so I had to go investigate. It wasn’t guns going off it was branches breaking from the trees due to the heavy ice weighing them down. We have a mess at our guest house, the big beautiful maple tree in the front yard looks terrible, there are so many branches broke I hope the tree recovers. I planted that tree 20 years ago and it is now a favorite of mine. It is now snowing and sticking to all the ice making the branches even heavier. I think there will be plenty of fire wood around after it is all cleaned up.
I fear for the people that have no generator or a way to stay warm or prepare a meal. This is such a small community that most will help their own, but there will be some people to proud to leave their homes and seek help. For now I am only getting on line for short periods of time, not my normal surfing, I don’t want to overload the generator if I don’t have to. I can’t believe we could possibly be a week without power, but I am thankful for our generator. The ice sure is beautiful, but being without power is no fair trade.
We had the storm for 3 days and are well and truly coated in thick, thick ice. Luckily for us we did not lose power but thousands and thousands did. Hopefully your power will be restored soon. Take care or yourself and your family.
Good Morning Dawn,
So glad you could get another battery for the generator. I hope that will sustain you until your power comes on. I feel bad for all the people that do not have a generator in your town especially for Christmas. Hopefully they will get the power up sooner than they are saying. Stay warm.
Kris
Kris, I was grateful we got a battery too so we are up and running. It’s not convenient but better than freezing and starving. Merry Christmas!
Such a terrible thing, Dawn. I’m grateful you have a generator. If that happened to us, I don’t know what we would do. We don’t have a generator. I’m so sorry for all the damage to your trees, especially your beloved Maple. Heartbreaking, isn’t it?
Stay warm, stay safe and I pray that power is restored to everyone sooner rather than later.
xo
Claudia
Claudia thank you for the prayers you are such a good friend. Have a wonderful Christmas!
Good morning Dawn,
I told my husband this morning that after watching the weather report on the news, I’m grateful that our highs will be in the low 70s Christmas week. A big deal here in Phoenix was the high temps over the weekend was in the low 50s. Big deal for us. Hearing about the ice storm from someone living through it, I can see why people move here or stay here over the winter months. I love your blog and wishing your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Keep warm, Kathleen in Az
Kathleen thank you so much for thinking of us. We are not enjoying our power outage but am thankful we do have heat, food, and water. Many don’t…. Enjoy your nice warm week:) and Merry Christmas!
I, too, hope for power to be restored earlier than forecast. I have lived through ice storms in Portland, Oregon and Dallas, Texas – they are so destructive! I’d rather have snowfall any day. Now we live in the Pacific NW and do get some wicked wind storms with power outages so we have a generator and a wood stove. That makes such a difference! Hope everyone stays safe in your community and has a Merry Christmas anyway!!
Barb, that is next on my list to buy…a wood stove. I hate the room they will take up but need to be prepared at all times. Merry Christmas!
Dawn – glad you were able to get that battery! We just got rain in our part of Ontario but I know some of our relatives who live North of us have been without power since 3AM Sunday morning…they are melting snow to flush their toilets as they are on a well system and don’t have water either…take care and stay away from those falling limbs!
Here’s hoping you don’t have to spend Christmas in the dark!
Cheryl we will be without power through Christmas. Haven’t even seen a power truck in our area yet:( I sure don’t like this for the long haul. Merry Christmas!
I kept hearing loud thud noises and finally figured out where they were coming from. We have a whole line of towers next door to our house and all of the ice was breaking off of them in huge chucks and falling to the ground. It was so quiet out except for that and a little disconcerting. I hope all is well with you despite the power problems so many are having now and that you still have a very wonderful Christmas!
Denise, we are safe, have heat, and food so all is good. Have a Merry Christmas!
Power outages are no fun that’s for sure. I’m glad you are safe and can survive until the power is restored. Hoping you can still have a Merry Christmas!
Ann, yes we are safe and have heat and food. Thank God! Have a great Christmas with your family!
Oh my Dawn…the pictures are beautiful, but the results of the storm are not so beautiful…stay safe!!!!
Merry Christmas!!
Shirley, The sun is shining today so I am going to get more pictures. The beauty is not worth the power outage that is for sure. Merry Christmas!
You have my sympathy. We went through the same thing in October, only instead of ice it was ice and 55 inches of snow. Our trees also took a beating. We were lucky and didn’t lose power, but many did. I hope you and your family overcome and have a very Merry Christmas!
Bonnie, wow 55 inches of snow that is a lot of white stuff and it is just horrible to see the trees breaking under the weight. Still no power here but sure hope it returns soon. Merry Christmas!
Ice storms have such beauty to photograph yet so much damage. I recall one years ago here in western pa where the ice didn’t melt for almost a week. I hope that your power is restored soon…it is so good that you have a generator, though, and were able to get a battery for it. The CASH situation is a lesson for us all, too. We are so much of a cashless society or we carry so little…but in times like that, the only way one could purchase anything would be with cash so it is probably a good idea to always have some stashed away for an emergency power outage.
I hope that you can have as merry a christmas as possible….
Deb, yes we did get a battery for the generator, and yes it is a good lesson for the cash issue. Have a Merry Christmas and thanks for dropping by:)