Post by Admin on Jan 2, 2017 17:20:02 GMT -7
Extended Power Outage Hits Paradise Valley and Glastonbury
on January 2nd, 2017
on January 2nd, 2017
A little after 3 AM on January 2nd, 2017 the electricity went out in Paradise Valley and Glastonbury. Loss of power is not uncommon here and most folks are used to the inconvenience. It is part of the price of living here. What was unusual was the length of time it took for the power to resume and the bitter cold temperatures. No doubt the power crews were hampered by darkness and sub zero temperatures. We are grateful they managed to fix the problem as quickly as they did. Power was restored gradually to different sections of our community to minimize electrical surges.
My home in High South lost 7 degrees of heat over 5 hours. The propane furnace did not work but my propane cook top lighted easily with a match. I also had several gallons of water stored in milk jugs that were left over from the Blizzard Watch of two weeks ago.
Here are a few tips to consider before we get another extended power outage:
My home in High South lost 7 degrees of heat over 5 hours. The propane furnace did not work but my propane cook top lighted easily with a match. I also had several gallons of water stored in milk jugs that were left over from the Blizzard Watch of two weeks ago.
Here are a few tips to consider before we get another extended power outage:
- Contact your neighbors and find out who may need assistance before the power goes out again. Do they have a wood burning stove or fireplace? Do they have a ready supply of wood? A few gallons of water in jugs? Share the below list with them so they may be prepared.
- Fill your bath tub with water. This will provide you with about 30 gallons that you can use for washing, flushing the toilet, etc.
- Keep another 3 to 5 gallons of tap water handy for drinking and cooking. I use milk jugs.
- Put a metal 2-4 quart pan full of snow in the refrigerator after the power goes out. The snow will absorb heat from the food as it melts and thus keep everything cool. Snow melts at 32 degrees. The normal temperature inside a refrigerator is 38 degrees.
- If the power does not come on for more than 6 hours check the food in your freezer. If it is starting to thaw AND the temperature outdoors is less than zero, you can safely put the food in an animal proof box and store it out doors. If the outside temperature is above zero and less than 32 degrees, place the box in a shady spot and heap snow all around it. The food may thaw more but it will not spoil.
- Keep an ample supply of firewood nearby. Have matches and kindling ready.
- Keep your cell phone charged and use it sparingly during the power outage.
- Keep a flashlight, battery powered radio, candles and matches in "easy to find in the dark" places.
- If you have a second home in Glastonbury - make sure that you have some way of checking to see if your furnace went back on when the power was restored. A power surge comes with every resumption of lost electricity. Surges can damage electronic controls, computers, etc over time and eventually may finish them off. After a day or more of sub zero temperatures your pipes will freeze and the damage can be catastrophic.
The North Glastonbury Teaching Center released the following preparedness list this afternoon:
Please share these tips with friends. Add your own tips below.
- If you have a generator or wood stove, keep ample supplies of wood and fuel.
- If you do not have a wood-stove or generator, it is a good idea now to contact a neighbor, friend, or relative
(i.e., a buddy) that does have a back-up heat source, who you can stay with for a period of time in the event of an
extended power disruption. Or set up a buddy that can drive you to a heated facility or shelter. - If you have a propane-fueled forced air furnace or cooking stove, they can be lit with a match for a heat
source. Without electricity, a propane furnace would not blow out hot air but would give off some heat if the pilot
light is re-lit.
Forum Note: Many cook tops, ranges, ovens and furnaces are NOT designed to be lighted with a match. It is possible to burn out your oven and severally damage your furnace by lighting them with a match. Range and cook tops are more forgiving. We suggest checking with a qualified dealer or service person first. - Homes can generally hold heat for up to five hours with no heat source during sub-zero temps before pipes begin to freeze. However, every home is different. If an outage goes beyond several hours, then one needs to think about survival and not the home pipes, ie, time to go to a buddy or a shelter. If you are not able to have a buddy, then Liberty Hall would be the closest shelter.
- The Emergency Preparedness Committee of North Glastonbury has set up Liberty Hall as a back-up survival shelter. In the event of a prolonged power outage in sub-zero weather, the Hall would be set up with it's wood stove and food supplies. There are a few cots and foam mats and blankets there. It would be best to bring food and blankets or sleeping bags with you.
- The NGTC telephone tree will not work in a power outage. Land lines and cell phones generally do work as they are on separate sources of power. However cordless phones will not work; it is advisable to keep an "old" land line phone that plugs in directly to the phone line. And cell phones need to be charged. But it is possible to phone for assistance during the outage with the proper phones - call your friends or neighbors for assistance.
- To be prepared, it is best to set up with a buddy now for any extended power outages in the future. Hopefully
any future outages will only be local and short term.
Please share these tips with friends. Add your own tips below.
