We got power back

TOAD · 11-08-2011, 05:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LadyJane

North central Ct. here.....day 10, and we just got power back, thanks to the wonderful trucks and crew from none other than New Hampshire who showed up in our neighborhood this morning. Yay !!!! The damage from this storm is absolutely amazing. I have never seen anything like it in all my years. Trees and limbs blocked many streets, hung on power lines, and lines were down on the ground everywhere. Unbelievable destruction.

Totally agree Lady. I've seen hurricane and tornado damage (of course nothing like New Orleans or Florida) but here in the north east I have never seen anything like this and never thought I would.

There will be debris from the broken trees around for several years before all is cleaned up. The expense to the cities and towns for clean-up will be phenomenal.

NoRegrets · 11-08-2011, 08:33 AM

We got our power back Friday night in Hudson. The crew was preparing to go to Ct. While they were working on the lines on our street they installed a wire that created a short from the power to the ground wires on the pole. I have never noticed that before so I asked them what was up with that? The response was it was a direct short in case a home owner incorrectly fed power back onto the grid through a generator or solar panel it would short the home owner device and protect them.

Blue Thunder · 11-08-2011, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoRegrets

We got our power back Friday night in Hudson. The crew was preparing to go to Ct. While they were working on the lines on our street they installed a wire that created a short from the power to the ground wires on the pole. I have never noticed that before so I asked them what was up with that? The response was it was a direct short in case a home owner incorrectly fed power back onto the grid through a generator or solar panel it would short the home owner device and protect them.

That is one of the reasons restoration efforts are lengthened. Nearly all of the electrical utility companies now ground the lines before any work can be done. That means the tree crews can't work on cutting the branches and trees that brought down the wires until they are made "safe". In the not so distant past, linemen have been electrocuted because the primary lines were not grounded. Now it is standard practice.

Now I'll get up on my soapbox and go out on a limb, pun intended, to defend, in general, the power companies and their response to this past storm. It is IMPOSSIBLE to have the appropriate number of crews and equipment ready for something like what just happened. Heavy snow in October when the trees are still more than 50% leafed out is extremely rare. Leaves on the trees and wet snow do not mix. Many cities and towns do not allow the power companies to trim the trees near the power lines often enough or to the extent necessary to prevent or reduce outages. That greatly contributed to what we have just seen. Compounding that is the fact that whole trees, not just branches came down due to the weight of the snow. The damage an entire tree does to wires and poles is exponentially greater.

TOAD · 11-08-2011, 11:08 AM

I have no complaints about the time it took/is taking to get power back. All one has to do is drive around The Commywealth of Western Massachusetts and look at the damage. In some places it is incomprehensible. The amount of work that got done by the power companies is phenomenal in my opinion.

This storm was a historic freak. You cannot have contingency plans for something like this unusual weather occurrence.

NoRegrets · 11-08-2011, 11:21 AM

Thanks Blue Thunder for the insight. We were out seven days. Seeing the work that was preformed and the impacted area we were lucky to only wait a week.

The utility companies actually had to re-wire from the street to house service's where needed. 75% of the homes on our service had the wires pulled off the house in this scary storm. They all deserve a great service commendation but in today's world there will be politicians fueled by entitled citizens that will start a witch hunt for this Halloween storm.

I also heard that you can be charged criminally if your generator sends power out on the grid.

Tired of Waiting · 11-08-2011, 01:35 PM

Got up this morning and there was a crew out in front of the house cutting any broken limbs and cutting the trees back away from the wires. Seems a shame that the trees were not cut back earlier before damage could happen.

In Otis MA there was a bad ice storm a couple years ago. They have cut all the trees back and DID NOT LOOSE power in this storm. I'll admit that the snow was not as heavy there this storm but still some trees did loose branches and none hit the wires.

I hope the state/cities learn a lesson from this and keep the trees back.

ToW

Merrymeeting · 11-08-2011, 08:41 PM

Like Blue Thunder, I defended the power companies when we lost power for 8 days after the famous ice storm of December 2008.

But after that storm, I called our power company 3 times over the next 2 years. After the repairs from that storm, we still had major tree limbs hanging over our wires. Of greater concern, we had a non-used wire hanging down from a pole that I worried was a safety concern.

Irene hit, and we were out for 4 days.

This time, we were out for 6 days. In all that time, I've never seen a tree/maintenance crew in our area or anywhere in our town.

Sorry, this time they deserve all the criticism they get. They cheaped out on routine preventative maintenance, and now the bill is due.

(PS, this is in our "winter" home in north, central MA, National Grid, not PSNH. Our lake home never lost power)

NoRegrets · 11-09-2011, 06:41 AM

If the trees are on "private" property, who is responsible to keep them cut away from the power line? We and our neighbor had all trees taken down close to the street after the 2008 Ice Storm. I think the property owner may share the blame when I see some very weak or sick looking tall trees.

Winnisquamguy · 11-09-2011, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tired of Waiting

Got up this morning and there was a crew out in front of the house cutting any broken limbs and cutting the trees back away from the wires. Seems a shame that the trees were not cut back earlier before damage could happen.

In Otis MA there was a bad ice storm a couple years ago. They have cut all the trees back and DID NOT LOOSE power in this storm. I'll admit that the snow was not as heavy there this storm but still some trees did loose branches and none hit the wires.

I hope the state/cities learn a lesson from this and keep the trees back.

ToW

I think part of the problem is that PSNH didn't have enough workers to handle the problems. This is due in part because they are trying to save money and they have laid them off or gave them early retirement. They need to come up with a better plan, maybe part time workers that come in during storms. The only way this problem is going to be fixed, is if they have to start paying us money back for the number of days we are without service. I feel bad for the people down in CT that are still without power.

11-08-2011, 11:08 AM	#4
TOAD Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Soon to be Moultonboro Posts: 258 Thanks: 1 Thanked 81 Times in 34 Posts	I have no complaints about the time it took/is taking to get power back. All one has to do is drive around The Commywealth of Western Massachusetts and look at the damage. In some places it is incomprehensible. The amount of work that got done by the power companies is phenomenal in my opinion. This storm was a historic freak. You cannot have contingency plans for something like this unusual weather occurrence. __________________ "Government is not reason, it is not eloquence, it is force; like fire, a troublesome servant and a fearful master. Never for a moment should it be left to irresponsible action.....Unknown....but attributed to George Washington

11-08-2011, 01:35 PM	#6
Tired of Waiting Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 519 Thanks: 111 Thanked 259 Times in 107 Posts	Now they cut the trees back Got up this morning and there was a crew out in front of the house cutting any broken limbs and cutting the trees back away from the wires. Seems a shame that the trees were not cut back earlier before damage could happen. In Otis MA there was a bad ice storm a couple years ago. They have cut all the trees back and DID NOT LOOSE power in this storm. I'll admit that the snow was not as heavy there this storm but still some trees did loose branches and none hit the wires. I hope the state/cities learn a lesson from this and keep the trees back. ToW

11-08-2011, 08:33 AM	#2
NoRegrets Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Hudson - NH Posts: 408 Thanks: 233 Thanked 212 Times in 88 Posts	We got our power back Friday night in Hudson. The crew was preparing to go to Ct. While they were working on the lines on our street they installed a wire that created a short from the power to the ground wires on the pole. I have never noticed that before so I asked them what was up with that? The response was it was a direct short in case a home owner incorrectly fed power back onto the grid through a generator or solar panel it would short the home owner device and protect them.

The Following User Says Thank You to Blue Thunder For This Useful Post:
rander7823 (11-18-2011)

11-08-2011, 11:21 AM	#5
NoRegrets Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Hudson - NH Posts: 408 Thanks: 233 Thanked 212 Times in 88 Posts	Thanks Blue Thunder for the insight. We were out seven days. Seeing the work that was preformed and the impacted area we were lucky to only wait a week. The utility companies actually had to re-wire from the street to house service's where needed. 75% of the homes on our service had the wires pulled off the house in this scary storm. They all deserve a great service commendation but in today's world there will be politicians fueled by entitled citizens that will start a witch hunt for this Halloween storm. I also heard that you can be charged criminally if your generator sends power out on the grid.

11-08-2011, 08:41 PM	#7
Merrymeeting Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Merrymeeting Lake, New Durham Posts: 2,226 Thanks: 302 Thanked 800 Times in 368 Posts	Like Blue Thunder, I defended the power companies when we lost power for 8 days after the famous ice storm of December 2008. But after that storm, I called our power company 3 times over the next 2 years. After the repairs from that storm, we still had major tree limbs hanging over our wires. Of greater concern, we had a non-used wire hanging down from a pole that I worried was a safety concern. Irene hit, and we were out for 4 days. This time, we were out for 6 days. In all that time, I've never seen a tree/maintenance crew in our area or anywhere in our town. Sorry, this time they deserve all the criticism they get. They cheaped out on routine preventative maintenance, and now the bill is due. (PS, this is in our "winter" home in north, central MA, National Grid, not PSNH. Our lake home never lost power)

11-09-2011, 06:41 AM	#8
NoRegrets Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Hudson - NH Posts: 408 Thanks: 233 Thanked 212 Times in 88 Posts	If the trees are on "private" property, who is responsible to keep them cut away from the power line? We and our neighbor had all trees taken down close to the street after the 2008 Ice Storm. I think the property owner may share the blame when I see some very weak or sick looking tall trees.