1 (edited by morningsun76 2007-01-15 23:11:27)

Topic: Power outages

The power went out here in Pahrump, Nevada at about 3 AM this past Saturday 1-13-2007.   It was freezing cold outside and power was not restored until about 7:30 in the evening.  I'm using AT&T's new WiMax wireless internet service and that has only just now, two evenings later, been restored.

Art Bell, back in town from the Phillipines, was on the local station KNYE ("Kingdom of Nye" county), which was broadcasting on a backup transmitter at the time.   He had heard somewhere that shotgun shells were found at the source of the outage and was using the term "terrorism" several times a minute.   A caller-in noted that a shotgun blast could not take out power lines due to their height, and Bell agreed, but continued expressing his concerns about terrorism. neutral

Thousands in Pahrump without Power

Jan 14, 2007 10:25 AM

Thousands in Pahrump were without heat for a good portion of Saturday after a transmission line cable in the mountains snapped, cutting off power to residents and allowing the freezing cold and darkness to creep into their homes.

"It got cold, real cold, cold enough that my wife and I had to put on sweaters and jackets and two pairs of socks. I was even thinking about putting my long johns on, " said Dan Spillman, a Pahrump resident.

Spillman and his wife took advantage of a shelter that was set up at the Saddle West Casino.    Spillman and his wife though, were only a handful of people who went to the shelter.  Many people didn't even know that a shelter had been set up.

Valley Electric posted employees in the parking lot to answer a steady stream of questions from residents like John Kittinger.

"I am feeling cold, but now I feel warm because I have a heater in here.   I am gonna drive around now and burn $3 worth of gas until I warm up."

Pahrump's local radio station was off air and since it doesn't have a generator,  residents were literally in the dark about how long the power outage would last. 

Power was slowly restored Saturday evening.

Source: KLAS-TV

Re: Power outages

Storm Leaves 330,000 Without Power

Jan 15, 6:43 AM (ET)

By BETSY TAYLOR

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Utility crews tried to restore electricity to about 330,000 Missouri households that were still without power following a storm blamed for 21 deaths across four states.

Waves of freezing rain, sleet and snow since Friday have caused at least 12 deaths in Oklahoma, six in Missouri, two in Texas and one in New York.

Crews hoped to take advantage of moderate weather expected for Monday - including a few lingering snow showers and flurries - to bring power back online before an expected drop in temperatures to below zero Monday night.

The storm system was expected to continue heading northeast, said National Weather Service meteorologist Joe Pedigo. While the Ohio region could see rain Monday afternoon, lower Michigan and parts of New England could see more than a foot of snow.

Most of the outages - a majority in southwest Missouri - were caused when freezing rain caused tree branches to break off and crash onto power lines, officials said.

Guardsmen went door-to-door checking on the health and safety of residents in the hardest hit parts of the state and helping to clear slick roads.

Amtrak canceled Sunday service between Kansas City and St. Louis due to fallen trees and other debris on railroad tracks.

In the St. Louis region, about 150,000 people remained without power Sunday afternoon, after a pattern of freezing and thaws.

About 122,000 customers lacked power in Oklahoma as of Sunday night, the state Department of Emergency Management said. A gymnasium roof collapsed in Del City, Okla., under the weight of ice and snow, but no one was inside or injured, authorities said.

In Texas, 415 flights were canceled Sunday at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

In Nebraska, which has been pummeled by winter storms in the past month, the weekend storm dropped even more snow, making roads treacherous.

As the storm began to fade from the nation's midsection, parts of the East began to suffer.

In Albany, N.Y., a 22-year-old died after falling about 90 feet from a bridge to a road below after climbing a railing to avoid being hit by a sliding car. He had gotten out of his vehicle around 2 a.m. after a crash.

In Syracuse, N.Y., Interstate 81 was closed for about two hours after about 30 cars were involved in six accidents early Sunday. Several people were taken to hospitals.

Source: http://apnews.myway.com/article/20070115/D8MLMHV02.html

Note that the number of people affected was stated as 330,000.   This is 33 with a bunch of (numerologically meaningless) zeroes after it.

Re: Power outages

The temperature here is 33 degrees.

Re: Power outages

SednaSphere wrote:

The temperature here is 33 degrees.

Yes, that's obviously a conspiracy as well. smile

5 (edited by Pamelajean 2007-01-15 23:16:44)

Re: Power outages

Hey Morningsun 76,

Half of my family lives in Pahrump...neat little city.:)

Re: Power outages

Pamelajean wrote:

Hey Morningsun 76,

Half of my family lives in Pahrump...neat little city.:)

Yeah, it is!   It's big enough to have all the necessities of day-to-day living, and Vegas is an hour away if you need anything special.   The town has only two traffic lights, but five casinos.  At "Terrible's Town" you can get a full breakfast including coffee for 99 cents in the morning, or $1.95 between midnight and 8AM.     And if you drive about 5-10 minutes in any direction you will find yourself in barren desert.   I think that's pretty neat.   I've traveled quite a bit now, and my feeling is that there really is something special about the whole southwest USA.   The town and it's surroundings strike a neat balance in a lot of ways.   I'm not sure yet how long I will end up staying here, but it's a very interesting place to spend the winter months.

Re: Power outages

I just love that special, mystical, enchanting stretch of highway south of Pahrump that leads to and from the 15 where that teen tiny town is with a gas station and store.  Years ago there was never a soul on that hwy so while driving through that area, I'd feel I was on another planet or back in a prehistoric time. 
The landscape changes so much within that 65 or so miles, I get the feel of it being an alien space, but one that I feel is peaceful and welcoming.  When I'd get to the point of seeing the road coming to an end, I'd feel sad.  And don't be drivin' through there at night...whoa it's dark, reeeeeaaaly dark.  My aunt lives right off that hwy on Wilson.

8 (edited by SednaSphere 2007-01-17 01:11:39)

Re: Power outages

morningsun76 wrote

Yes, that's obviously a conspiracy as well

A conspiracy of synchronicities. I invented it, when I invented the internet.:D