| Monday, January 15. Built a bonfire outside to melt water so could get the ice off the truck doors. (It was frozen shut.)Drove into nearest town, only to find it practically a ghost town. Only the grocery store and MFA feed store were open. Gas stations were closed, and kerosene, lamp oil, and heaters were sold out. Bought candles, some easy fix food, 2 disposable cameras, went home and took a nap. |
| Tuesday, January 16. Got up, bundled into warm clothing, ate a quick meal by candlelight--ignoring the mess in my kitchen. |
| Tuesday, January 16. Consulted with my aunt. She had a kerosene heater, but no kerosene. And also a propane cooktop--which, of course, could not be run without someone to keep a close eye on it. So, the weather didn't look any better. The news was scant. She gave me funds, and I set out to see what I could find in the way of survival gear. |
| Tuesday, January 16. My trucks gas tank was nearly empty...so I only got about 25 miles down the road, pulled into another small town when the guage reached "E". One of the "good old boys" hanging around the local truckstop/grocery sold me 5 gallons of gas for $10, and I continued on toward larger outposts of civilization. |
| Tuesday, January 16. Everywhere the broken trees, downed lines and icey roads told their own grim story. In Springfield--the closest major city I had to wait in line for a good long while to get gasoline. Kerosene, kerosene heaters and other alternative heat sources were still scarce to non-existent. Many residents had been without electricity since Friday, January 12th. I had come late to the search. I bought 2 over-priced small generators, picked up my youngest son to keep an eye on them so they didn't walk away while I shopped, and then searched all over for gas cans. |
| Tuesday, January 16. Got home at dusk, slid off in the ditch trying to get up the driveway. Neighbor came by with his much bigger truck, and pulled me on up the hill. He and my son attempted to set up the generators. One after the other, they each ran three minutes and died. Deeply tired, we moved all of the cats (except the two feral ones that I have a hard time catching) the dog, and ourselves to my aunt's house where she, my son and I set up rotating watches over the propane cooktop through the night. |
| Wednesday, January 17. A chilly sunrise brought heated discussions with Coleman company and the sellers of the generators. Coleman insisted they only warranteed for repairs not returns, and the seller said I had to prove the generators were defective, or he wouldn't take them back. A trip to the repair shop (after much haggling) revealed that the generators oil had been over-filled. (Oops!) |
| Wednesday evening, January 17 Thursday am January 18. Although I could not return the generators, they now both ran. However, a fill of 3 gallons of gasoline lasted only 5 hours running one electric heater. A little elementary math indicated we would still be sharing a house. However, the added warmth (minus the risk of carbon monoxide and fire) was extremely welcome. My son needed to go back to work, so I returned him to Springfield. This time I was able to buy more gas cans and more gasoline. I was extremely grateful for my aunt's help. The school was unable to print our checks...and Thursday was payday! |
| Friday, January 18. Morning was bright and sunny--and filled with hope, if still extremely chilly. Fuel was still an issue, so I headed out in a different direction. We had phone service now, so I called around and found a service station that was selling kerosene that had some in stock. |
| Friday, January 18. The sun turned the landscape into sparkling, fairytale beauty as it melted away the deadly ice. |
| Friday, January 18. Repairmen who had worked steadily throughout the storm, took advantage of the bright sunlight and absence of precipitation. Our Heroes! |
| Friday, January 18. Walmart's deliveries had caught up with demand, and shoppers were taking advantage of stacks of batteries, propane, prepackaged kerosene and other survival goods. |
| Friday, January 18. But the storm wasn't finished with us yet...as ice melted, formerly frozen branches dropped and over-stressed high-tension lines bounced as hazardous cascades of ice fell on unwary motorists and pedestrians. As I finished my shopping, electricity to formerly powered areas again shutdown. |
| Friday, January 18. In spite of the melting snow,evening demonstrated the wisdom of a different alternative to the generator...as fresh snow began to fall. We turned off the generator,tucked it under a tarp, and powered up the kerosene heater. It's heat was welcome...but we quickly found that aunt's well insulated mobile home had to have a couple of open windows while we were using it! |
| Saturday, January 19. More trips to the store for gasoline and water--but our local store was up and running! AND--oh, joy--a repair truck at our local substation!!! |
| Sunday, January 20. As the snow melts away, the power is still not restored. Although many homes are again connected to the grid, outlying areas and homes with damaged weatherheads still languish without power. No trips to the store today...just an over-whelming feeling that this story has gone on way too long. |
| Monday, January 21. The school has electricity, our checks have been printed. YAY! I can pay bills! As I drive through town, signs of snow removal indicate maybe the tale is told...and the storm has finally run it's course. At five o'clock in the evening...just as aunt and I are planning for another chilly night, the answering machine on the telephone ;glurped; the computer stuttered...and the house came back to life! |
All parts of webpage by Jo (email) Last update: December 21, 2006