I won’t moan and groan here about the storm. Philippe, that came through on Sunday and Monday after what so many others have gone through this year. I’ll just share the facts.
Over 1M in the Northeast and 300,000 in NH lost their power. Five hundred crews from as far away as Canada are working on the outage. Thank you to each one of them.
Ours was out for about 11 hours while 100,000+ in NH are still out this morning.
It is amazing how the loss of power can basically bring life as you know it to its knees.
We have downed branches but others found them crashing into their roofs. Road are buckled and impassable. We lost siding on the house while some have waterfalls in their basement.
A family in Warren, about two hours north of here, had their house washed away by the river, and it crashed down stream into a bridge which reduced it to pick up sticks.
A 70 mph gust actually blew an unoccupied construction truck off the Sarah Long Bridge in Portsmouth and into the Piscataqua River.
The force of nature whether it be water, wind, or fire certainly points out to us who really is in charge, and it’s not us.
If you were in the path, I hope you are safe, and it didn’t leave you too much damage or cleanup. After all, it’s Halloween and trick or treaters and candy should be the focus today.Ā š
That was quite a big wind, Judy. Sad to read about all the destruction. The part about the house being washed away is truly scary. I’m glad you guys escaped with only a little damage, still it’s not the best time to have to replace siding.
We had high winds, some nasty gusts and between 3 & 4″ of rain, but all is well. The town our office is in had lots of people without power, but our office seemed to only lose power for a short period. The crews are still out today, but it beats the late October snow storm 2011 – that one left us without power for 10 days.
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Yes, it certainly was better than that snowstorm. š
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I think it’s time we forget the Ides of March and start worrying about the end of October.
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I think you’ve got something there, Dan. š
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Judy, I am so sorry you have suffered property damage and endured the loss of power. I know you count yourselves amongst the lucky ones considering what others have gone through. You are right, Mother Nature is a force to be reckoned with and never taken for granted. My prayers go out to all those who are now picking up the pieces or draining water out of their homes . I feel guilty to admit we did ok.
The siding will be repaired or replaced and twigs and branches will get picked up. The important thing is that you and Dennis are safe and prepared for tonight’s trick or treaters!
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I will probably just eat a little extra candy today – sugar always makes me happier. š
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I hear ya. Apparently I am on happiness overload!! Lol. šš
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Sorry for your troubles, Judy. Happy Halloween.
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Thank you, and Happy Halloween to you too. š
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Glad to hear you are okay and damage is not too extensive, but sorry to hear of more tragedy. You are so right about electricity! Now, that it has turned cold, I’m especially thankful. The last of our hurricane damaged trees come down today and the roof work starts on November 13. So glad we might be done before Thanksgiving! Fingers crossed we both have everything set right soon.
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Glad progress is moving along for you. We actually have a tree trimmer scheduled for the first week in December. We’ve been on the list for months but they are swamped. Fingers crossed that the winds stay low in the Northeast. š
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It’s been quite a half year or so for storms and disasters, hasn’t it? I’m glad to read you escaped with so little damage comparatively, although it never really feels like a little when it’s happening/happened. I can imagine the tree trimmers are swamped! Yes, when the electricity goes out, especially if it’s for a long time, life change drastically. When we lived in Cleveland, we had a wood-burning stove, so at least one part of the house would have heat if it was during the cold season. Our rental house, needless to say, doesn’t have that, and it also has a sump pump, so we certainly pray that the power doesn’t go off for a long time or there could be water in the basement. Our landlord isn’t interested in a back-up system and all our “stuff” is stored down there.
janet
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Electricity rules our lives. Even our pellet stove needs power for the blower. š Here’s hoping you don’t have any big storms while in this house so everything downstairs stays dry. š
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Wow. I’m sorry for the losses of those you write about, and relieved that you are safe, Judy.
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Hope your new book is doing well. I sure wish I had little ones because I know they would have loved reading it. š
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Thanks for that lovely thought, Judy. I really appreciate it! a friend of mine in North Carolina has no little ones but brought a copy to his local library. And some buy for local schools. You can also help by simply spreading the word. Thanks very much and be well!
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On Long Island we had a good amount of wind, and some trees came down. “Only a few thousand people” lost power..! Our friends in NH had it far worse; in the Lakes region they expect to be 48h or so before power is back. Glad you are safe, Judy, and hope that it doesn’t take too much to get repairs and cleanup done. We bought a big generator after our first winter of outages in NH, and had a transfer switch installed so the furnace, freezers, lights etc were all supplied. There were several winter occasions when we were very glad we had done that!
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Glad you did well, and I’m certainly not complaining because we’ve got power and so many others are still waiting just like your friends. We have a portable generator, but if you’re talking hours it is quite an effort to string all the cords. When you’re looking at days without power, it is a wonderful thing. We pursued the big generator and that wonderful switch you flip a few years back, but the cost was outside of our budget. Those who have that type of generator don’t even have time to bat their eyes before their power is back on. That is certainly the way to go if you can afford it. I bet the people who bought that house from you certainly were smiling about it being included. š
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We only needed a few winter days in the NH Lakes without power to convince us to buy the generator and switch! The people who bought our house wanted it as a weekender, so they may never need the generator! But we would never have used it here: our over55s development has buried utilities so only a really large outage would give us trouble (maybe I should not be saying that with winter coming!)
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The new condo subdivision we lived in before moving here had buried lines. If only, NH could transition toward that but I guess it would be an elephant to tackle.
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Judy, so happy to hear you are safe. I would also like to thank every one of the power crews who travel sometimes far distances to help restore power in areas affected by storms. We saw them first hand last year get power restored after tropical storm Hermine and then hurricane Matthew about a month later. This year our power was quickly restored after Irma paid us a visit. Also a big thank you for all the first responders and volunteers everywhere who help during disasters.
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Isn’t that the truth – unsung heroes for sure. They roll down the road hundreds of miles, work around the clock, and then head home without much gratitude because we don’t encounter them. But, along with you, I applaud every one of those gracious, hardworking, men and women who come to our defense when we are quite vulnerable. š
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It was hard to *like* this except that you came out of it relatively unscathed. Eleven hours without power is not trivial.
The frequency and severity of storms is becoming a new reality and one that I find very worrying. When I read stories like this one, I want to give all the climate change naysayers a good slap.
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Yes, if you have watched the news in 2017 and still don’t believe in climate change, I think they do need a good slap to wake them up. š
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So glad you are safe and have power. I am originally from NH but now live in the Midwest–I deal with different kinds of storms now, tornadoes and so forth.
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I understand, I really do. We lived in Kansas for many, many years and during that time I spent quite a few hours in the basement waiting for the sirens to go off. Stay safe when that season rolls around again. š
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It was a horrible storm Judy, and on the anniversary of hurricane Sandy. As Peter had mentioned, we had lots of rain and wind here on Long Island, but nothing like the images we saw on TV from further up north. I am glad you are safe.
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Thank you and glad you didn’t have any damage. š
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. . . and people wonder why I don’t leave California.
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Well, there is that. š
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You know, I have never experiences a major or even a moderate earthquake. They happen while I am away. I was literally in the car nearly 150 miles away when the Loma Prieta Earthquake happened. I had left Beverly Hills the night before the Northridge Earthquake. Earthquakes seem to happen in places where I just left. I am mentioning this because the weather was so nice while I was in Oklahoma, but the house we stayed in was ruined by the Moore Tornado!
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If I send you some cash, will you buy me a couple of lottery tickets? š You are one lucky guy. š
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It doesn’t work that way. Besides being away is not always a good thing. When I was in San Luis Obispo, the news made it sound like my hometown was destroyed by the Loma Prieta Earthquake when the damage was actually quite tolerable. We were panicked, but could not get back in.
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The weather can be so unpredictable and damaging. I’m glad you didn’t suffer too much. How awful for the family whose house was washed away. We had a violent hail storm last week, but luckily it missed our area. Friends have damaged cars and homes though.
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Glad to hear you survived the hail but sorry your friends got hit. š
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We got hardly any while other parts of the city were pummeled. The luck of the draw, I guess. We did get some very welcome rain though.
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It was hard to hit the like button, but I did b/c I’m glad you’re okay. We’ve really taken a beating this year and winter is just getting started!
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Iām sorry for your troubles. I was luckily safe in my case of a typhoon last week. Stay safe.
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Glad you were safe. š
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Not a good post to click Like on
I’m sorry so many in your region have gone through this storm. I am glad your own struggle wasn’t worse. Since the tornado last August, we have a section of siding that is fragile now, and any bit of wind will knock it down again.
I’m awed by nature and so sad that family lost their home in the river. š¦
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Yikes! Eleven hours without power! So much craziness lately… Mother Nature seems to be shaking things up trying to get the attention of the powers that be. Unfortunately, they aren’t paying attention.
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We had the tail-end of that storm. Lots of crazy wind and rain, but nothing like what you folks had. The power of Mother Nature is awesome, indeed. And it seems we ought to prepare for more of the same – and worse – in the future. Glad you have your power back and life is returning to normal.
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We got off easy with just a four hour outage. Some people nearby are still without power. Can you imagine being in Puerto Rico and wondering if you will EVER get power back?
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Good question. I think I’m too much of a wimp to live without power at this age. š
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I agree that you notice how much you rely on power when it’s gone. I’m sorry that you’ve had some damage.
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Your part of the world was really beat up. I’m very glad it wasn’t worse for you, but still being in a storm like that is not something you soon forget. You are so right about who isn’t in charge!
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So sorry to hear about the storms…. I completely agree with you on all fronts..nothing like a force of nature to show us we are not in charge, and how dependent we are on electricity, and…. the (often) unsung heroes who come to our rescue. In Australia we have wonderfully brave fire-fighters who put their lives at risk in hellish conditions every summer. Best wishes to everyone & glad your power is back on.
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Sorry to hear of your terrible storm Judy. We never heard anything about it over here in Oz. But then the media tends to just concentrate on local dramas and sport. We are so dependant on electricity, everything shuts down once we loose the power.. What a relief you didn’t suffer too much damage. Is the garden ok?
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The gardens did okay except for all the downed branches. I spent a day clearing all those out and everything is fine. Thank you for asking. š
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I live in South West Florida and I am still cleaning up 6 weeks later. These storms can really make a mess for everyone. Sorry you had to go through this. I followed the storm on the weather station.
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I’m sure I don’t fully understand what you went through, and I hope even though you are still cleaning up that things are getting better. š
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Wow. What an event to have endured. I’m glad you are fine, but share your concern over the tumultuous weather hitting all parts of our country lately.
Our power goes out occasionally, and even at the longest stretches – 6 hours once last summer – it’s interesting how much we rely on it for even the simplest tasks. Should we go out to eat since we can’t cook? The garage door needs manual lifting! Should I quilt or read? Oops! No lights!
I hope this last storm never repeats itself for you!
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The options for what you can do with no power is definitely limited. I was reading my last book, the library was closed, and the tablet wouldn’t work without wifi. I got myself to the library the next day and got a good supply. š
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Glad that you are safe / that house washing away is such a scary story ! š¦
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I watched that on the news and could hardly believe it. The power of Mother Nature is not something to be under estimated that’s for sure. š
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I am glad it was no worse for you than it was, not that it wasn’t bad enough. I cannot imagine living through what some people live through. And to think I feel lost when we are without internet.
One time when we were young and lived in Eastern Tennessee we had a snow storm that clung to power lines. I don’t remember the number of people that was without power, but we were without power for 3 days. Lucky us, we heated with a wood stove.
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Wow Judy – we had news coverage of the storm down here but not nearly to the level of our own Irma or for Houston and Puerto Rica. Like you we had no real damage but many around us suffered flooding and wind damage. Nature can be so brutal when she wants to. Glad you came through okay – hope the clean-up isn’t horrific.
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gosh – you are so right- the weather is in charge – not us – š
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and glad your power is back on and hope the cleanup for everyone is not too bad – and as Tina noted- still aching for those in PR – without power after weeks – it really does bring things to a halt.
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What a Halloween night in your place Judy! I’m sorry you had such disaster, dear. You’re lucky, your house stays at his spot and no waterfall in it.
Take care!
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A sobering reminder. Glad things at least weren’t any worse for you personally. Still, going without power … hard to imagine that people lived without electricity pretty much until not much over 100 years ago.
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