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View Full Version : It's getting old sleeping in the freezing cold



TheBoyWhoSeaWolf
November 6th, 2012, 01:23 PM
9 days and counting and we still have no power here in much of Long Island. With temperatures below freezing at night, my family now sleeps in the living room in front of our fireplace, for which my job is to keep it going all night (who needs sleep?). It's not so bad for me, I get to go to bars in town to connect to the Internet and do work, so I'm just whining, but an interesting aside is that one of the worst hit communities for power outages on Long Island is Port Jefferson (see http://www.sbstatesman.com/port-jefferson-experiences-record-high-flooding786), a charming old port town next to Stony Brook, where many members of the Seawolves football team live (see http://www.ocregister.com/sports/essington-376618-brook-stony.html). Having no power is exhausting, especially when it's so cold. With another storm coming Wednesday, I'm curious as to how it's affecting our players.

TheRevSFA
November 6th, 2012, 01:24 PM
9 days and counting and we still have no power here in much of Long Island. With temperatures below freezing at night, my family now sleeps in the living room in front of our fireplace, for which my job is to keep it going all night (who needs sleep?). It's not so bad for me, I get to go to bars in town to connect to the Internet and do work, so I'm just whining, but an interesting aside is that one of the worst hit communities for power outages on Long Island is Port Jefferson (see http://www.sbstatesman.com/port-jefferson-experiences-record-high-flooding786), a charming old port town next to Stony Brook, where many members of the Seawolves football team live (see http://www.ocregister.com/sports/essington-376618-brook-stony.html). Having no power is exhausting, especially when it's so cold. With another storm coming Wednesday, I'm curious as to how it's affecting our players.


You think 9 days without power in the cold sucks? Try 11 in 100 degree heat. At least you can put on more layers and blankets. Once you get buck naked..you're done

LeeshaJo
November 6th, 2012, 01:24 PM
Well that just puts all our football debates back in perspective. Keep warm. I hope the power comes back on for you soon. Have they given you a timeline?

Twentysix
November 6th, 2012, 01:25 PM
You think 9 days without power in the cold sucks? Try 11 in 100 degree heat. At least you can put on more layers and blankets. Once you get buck naked..you're done

Uncomfortable =\= to death. :(

Laker
November 6th, 2012, 01:26 PM
Still no power after 9 days? I hope that they fix it soon- that is awful. We need to upgrade our electrical grid. It is long overdue. I'm not blaming one party or the other, I'm blaming us as Americans. We never worry about anything until it doesn't work. And now a second storm is on the way? Let's get things fixed!

TheRevSFA
November 6th, 2012, 01:29 PM
Uncomfortable =\= to death. :(

True, and I wasn't saying that to slight him. I've been there in a different case.

I hope they regain power soon, and I hope the region rebuilds quickly

BEAR
November 6th, 2012, 01:44 PM
You think 9 days without power in the cold sucks? Try 11 in 100 degree heat. At least you can put on more layers and blankets. Once you get buck naked..you're done

Yeah, but you were probably sprawled out on the pleather sofa chugging down brewskies, smashing cheetos and filling out govt assistance paperwork with blue crayons. Am I close? xeyebrowx xthumbsupx

TheBoyWhoSeaWolf
November 6th, 2012, 01:46 PM
As someone who hates 85 degree days, I'll pass on sleeping in 100 degree heat. After sleeping in the cold, a working coffee machine in the morning would be nice, however.


You think 9 days without power in the cold sucks? Try 11 in 100 degree heat. At least you can put on more layers and blankets. Once you get buck naked..you're done

Engineer86
November 6th, 2012, 01:56 PM
7 days and done, but after 7 days out with last years snow storm, I bought a generator hooked to natural gas, so this year was a non issue. Cost a fair amount, value priceless

Bisonator
November 6th, 2012, 01:57 PM
I guess I am just used to relying on my own here in ND. The occasional blizzard or ice storm has knocked out power for up to 2 weeks. Got a standby propane powered generator that sure is nice when needed! Also have a smaller gas powered one and a PTO one for the tractor. Got a wood stove that can be used as well as some kerosene(spelling) heaters and lights too. Better to be prepared then having to rely on the government.

I could probably be on one of those doomsday preppers shows if I had a years supply of spam! xlolx

TheRevSFA
November 6th, 2012, 02:01 PM
As someone who hates 85 degree days, I'll pass on sleeping in 100 degree heat. After sleeping in the cold, a working coffee machine in the morning would be nice, however.

To be fair...I'd be miserable with temps under 50. Sorry you're in the situation man. I truly am.

TheRevSFA
November 6th, 2012, 02:01 PM
Yeah, but you were probably sprawled out on the pleather sofa chugging down brewskies, smashing cheetos and filling out govt assistance paperwork with blue crayons. Am I close? xeyebrowx xthumbsupx

No actually I was fixing my house and my mom's house without government aid.

MorgantonAPPAlum
November 6th, 2012, 02:02 PM
You think 9 days without power in the cold sucks? Try 11 in 100 degree heat. At least you can put on more layers and blankets. Once you get buck naked..you're done


Originally Posted by Twentysix
Uncomfortable =\= to death.


A few years ago I took a great graduate level geography class titled "natural disasters" and, per the prof who taught that class, the number one natural disaster in terms of lives lost every year are heat waves.

Lehigh'98
November 6th, 2012, 02:08 PM
Sucks, we are in the same boat i Northern NJ. Been watching movies on my iphone with my wife. Still, with all that some people lost, its hard to complain.

TheRevSFA
November 6th, 2012, 02:09 PM
A few years ago I took a great graduate level geography class titled "natural disasters" and, per the prof who taught that class, the number one natural disaster in terms of lives lost every year are heat waves.

That's true. All of you guys up north without A/C to keep your house cool during heat waves.

RichH2
November 6th, 2012, 02:17 PM
Good luck. I'm also here. I have power and all my relatoves from the Rockaways. Lost most of their house. Tough now. It will get better. LIPA sucks. Telling us at least 10 ¡More days for power by the house. I have con ed so we're ok . Bunch of ud are getting together on Sat for Lehigh game, you're welcome to come. Good food.

TheBoyWhoSeaWolf
November 6th, 2012, 02:17 PM
Why have Spam when you could have Vienna Sausages?


I guess I am just used to relying on my own here in ND. The occasional blizzard or ice storm has knocked out power for up to 2 weeks. Got a standby propane powered generator that sure is nice when needed! Also have a smaller gas powered one and a PTO one for the tractor. Got a wood stove that can be used as well as some kerosene(spelling) heaters and lights too. Better to be prepared then having to rely on the government.

I could probably be on one of those doomsday preppers shows if I had a years supply of spam! xlolx

BEAR
November 6th, 2012, 02:20 PM
Got some people here in Arkansas who have built there homes "IN" the ground. Solar and in a high elevation. Talk about effort in building it. Geez. THAT is some solid rock!

http://d2idb324pzigdf.cloudfront.net/ppj/ppj6688/2b7d58d9-22d2-48dc-8262-670780849e95/432x324.jpg

TheBoyWhoSeaWolf
November 6th, 2012, 02:21 PM
70,000 deaths in 2003 European heat wave. That's a bummer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_European_heat_wave


A few years ago I took a great graduate level geography class titled "natural disasters" and, per the prof who taught that class, the number one natural disaster in terms of lives lost every year are heat waves.

TheBoyWhoSeaWolf
November 6th, 2012, 02:23 PM
So wait, you're telling me there are cavemen living in Arkansas? I knew it all along.


Got some people here in Arkansas who have built there homes "IN" the ground. Solar and in a high elevation. Talk about effort in building it. Geez. THAT is some solid rock!

http://d2idb324pzigdf.cloudfront.net/ppj/ppj6688/2b7d58d9-22d2-48dc-8262-670780849e95/432x324.jpg

Twentysix
November 6th, 2012, 03:23 PM
A few years ago I took a great graduate level geography class titled "natural disasters" and, per the prof who taught that class, the number one natural disaster in terms of lives lost every year are heat waves.

Put 20 million people in ND during -30F(-45F with windchill) break their windows and kill the power, make them last 9 days, I gurantee you your statistics flip.

However, that is an easily belivable statistic when considering population centers... and numbers who experience heat waves versus exterme cold. Most of the people on this board have probably never even experienced minor frost bite...

MorgantonAPPAlum
November 6th, 2012, 03:37 PM
Put 20 million people in ND during -30F(-45F with windchill) break their windows and kill the power, make them last 9 days, I gurantee you your statistics flip.

However, that is an easily belivable statistic when considering population centers... and numbers who experience heat waves versus exterme cold. Most of the people on this board have probably never even experienced frost bite...and thats just getting started.

Why not just go by every so often and spray them down with water as wellxrolleyesx:D? The truth is that a lot of the places where heat kills people in the summer (Chicago, New York, Detroit) get pretty cold in the winter as well. But if you can get inside during winter you can get some shelter from the cold (there are cold weather survival techniques that teach how to use snow drifts for temporary shelter). Heat OTOH is inescapable. Yes, it mostly affects the elderly, but it's still a killer and people vastly underestimate the dangers associated with heat.

HailSzczur
November 6th, 2012, 03:44 PM
Good luck to the Seawolves and everyone else on Long Island/Jersey. I know of a few Nova student's parent's who cashed in some hotel rewards points and stayed the past weekend in King of Prussia. They took advantage of the "parents and siblings eat free" in the dining halls, and used the chance to get gas without waiting in line for hours. But chin up, it's only going to get better right?

caribbeanhen
November 6th, 2012, 04:39 PM
9 days and counting and we still have no power here in much of Long Island. With temperatures below freezing at night, my family now sleeps in the living room in front of our fireplace, for which my job is to keep it going all night (who needs sleep?). It's not so bad for me, I get to go to bars in town to connect to the Internet and do work, so I'm just whining, but an interesting aside is that one of the worst hit communities for power outages on Long Island is Port Jefferson (see http://www.sbstatesman.com/port-jefferson-experiences-record-high-flooding786), a charming old port town next to Stony Brook, where many members of the Seawolves football team live (see http://www.ocregister.com/sports/essington-376618-brook-stony.html). Having no power is exhausting, especially when it's so cold. With another storm coming Wednesday, I'm curious as to how it's affecting our players.


but just think of the money your saving on the electric bill

Grizalltheway
November 6th, 2012, 05:02 PM
Got some people here in Arkansas who have built there homes "IN" the ground. Solar and in a high elevation. Talk about effort in building it. Geez. THAT is some solid rock!

http://d2idb324pzigdf.cloudfront.net/ppj/ppj6688/2b7d58d9-22d2-48dc-8262-670780849e95/432x324.jpg

Nice place. xbowxxbowx

GreatAppSt
November 6th, 2012, 05:15 PM
9 days and counting and we still have no power here in much of Long Island. With temperatures below freezing at night, my family now sleeps in the living room in front of our fireplace, for which my job is to keep it going all night (who needs sleep?). It's not so bad for me, I get to go to bars in town to connect to the Internet and do work, so I'm just whining, but an interesting aside is that one of the worst hit communities for power outages on Long Island is Port Jefferson (see http://www.sbstatesman.com/port-jefferson-experiences-record-high-flooding786), a charming old port town next to Stony Brook, where many members of the Seawolves football team live (see http://www.ocregister.com/sports/essington-376618-brook-stony.html). Having no power is exhausting, especially when it's so cold. With another storm coming Wednesday, I'm curious as to how it's affecting our players. How far back are your predecesors from LI?

GreatAppSt
November 6th, 2012, 05:17 PM
Uncomfortable =\= to death. :( ever heard of heat-stroke? Long duration unprotected exposure to extremes of either heat or cold = deathxthumbsupx

Libertine
November 6th, 2012, 05:43 PM
Still no power after 9 days? I hope that they fix it soon- that is awful. We need to upgrade our electrical grid. It is long overdue. I'm not blaming one party or the other, I'm blaming us as Americans. We never worry about anything until it doesn't work. And now a second storm is on the way? Let's get things fixed!

Well, since you put it that way....

TheBoyWhoSeaWolf
November 6th, 2012, 05:46 PM
I'm the first in my family from Long Island, my family's from the city.


How far back are your predecesors from LI?

Twentysix
November 6th, 2012, 08:10 PM
ever heard of heat-stroke? Long duration unprotected exposure to extremes of either heat or cold = deathxthumbsupx

Although you do not have extreme cold we do have extreme heat. Thanks for playing. ;)

RichH2
November 6th, 2012, 08:20 PM
Geez, some guys just cant help themselves and must get into a p*ssing contest about about hot weather cold weather. My area of the country has worse weather than yours. Wow are you all 7 yrs old
Yup its hot in Tx, cold.in Fargo wet and cold in NY. We all have it one way or the other. Suffering is just that not a contest to see who is tougher.

GreatAppSt
November 6th, 2012, 08:47 PM
Although you do not have extreme cold we do have extreme heat. Thanks for playing. ;) Long Island doesn't have "extreme" cold right now either. Especially not the "-30F(-45F with windchill)" you mentioned earlier. "Long duration unprotected exposure to extremes of either heat or cold = death" don't you agree y/n?

Twentysix
November 6th, 2012, 11:56 PM
Long Island doesn't have "extreme" cold right now either. Especially not the "-30F(-45F with windchill)" you mentioned earlier. "Long duration unprotected exposure to extremes of either heat or cold = death" don't you agree y/n?

Depends how you define long duration. And what thresholds for each extreme.

15 minutes at -45F would probably kill someone who is healthy and not wearing clothing ('unprotected'). Maybe they could make it 45 minutes, who knows.

Rich, somedays its hot in fargo moorhead too :p 130F heat index 2 years ago. 130F heat index to -60F Windchill. Of course its a measuring stick thats why we got an award (http://www.aolnews.com/2011/04/01/fargo-wins-title-as-americas-toughest-weather-city/) for it!

Hammerhead
November 7th, 2012, 08:04 AM
Nearly all of our power outages happen in the late fall or winter due to windstorms or freezing rain so it's nice to have a fireplace to help keep warm. Our current house has a natural gas fireplace so there's no need to keep putting wood on the fire. It has a battery pack to run the electronic ignition when the power is out.

My parents grew up on farms in N.D. and Minn. and love to tell stories about the "good" old days when they slept 3 or 4 to a bed to help stay warm and put hot rocks in the sheets to help warm up the bed before bedtime.

JMU2004
November 7th, 2012, 08:35 AM
14 days last year after Irene in Richmond. Only 7 days when I lived in Florida after Wilma.

I would much rather deal with the cold than the heat.....Easier to keep food chilled.

Learned my lesson and bought a generator. Frankly, if you can afford it, it is worth the peace of mind it provides.

Twentysix
November 7th, 2012, 11:12 AM
14 days last year after Irene in Richmond. Only 7 days when I lived in Florida after Wilma.

I would much rather deal with the cold than the heat.....Easier to keep food chilled.

Learned my lesson and bought a generator. Frankly, if you can afford it, it is worth the peace of mind it provides.

Think more power will be going underground now that it happened to NYC?

Pretty much 100% of modern construction out here is underground. The only things above ground are the long distance wires.

McNeese72
November 7th, 2012, 11:43 AM
So wait, you're telling me there are cavemen living in Arkansas? I knew it all along.

No. Hobbits, imo. :D

Went a little over 2 weeks without power down here in SW Louisiana after Hurricane Rita in 2005. But spent 10 days of it evacuated to the hell hole called Pine Bluff, Ark It took 22 hours to get there in what was normally a 7 hour drive.

I came back when they started allowing people back in to start cleaning up. I was one of the lucky ones because a big oak tree barely caught the corner of my house when it went down and not down the middle like some people. I saw a picture of one house where a huge pine tree essentially cut the house in two down to the slab. I came back to hot humid 90+ temperatures. I was able to acquire a generator and small window A/C unit for one room to sleep. That was the only thing that made it tolerable.

Can still remember the smell of cleaning out the big chest freezer after 10 days of no power before we got home.

I call my Rita experience "a vacation to hell followed by a camping trip to hell".

Doc

pike51
November 7th, 2012, 11:47 AM
Color me impressed though... no power or heat at home and he still takes time to post here when he gets the chance. True dedication!

Good luck and I hope things are back to "normal" for you soon.

RichH2
November 7th, 2012, 12:22 PM
Color me impressed though... no power or heat at home and he still takes time to post here when he gets the chance. True dedication!

Good luck and I hope things are back to "normal" for you soon.

+ 1

TheRevSFA
November 7th, 2012, 12:25 PM
No. Hobbits, imo. :D

Went a little over 2 weeks without power down here in SW Louisiana after Hurricane Rita in 2005. But spent 10 days of it evacuated to the hell hole called Pine Bluff, Ark It took 22 hours to get there in what was normally a 7 hour drive.

I came back when they started allowing people back in to start cleaning up. I was one of the lucky ones because a big oak tree barely caught the corner of my house when it went down and not down the middle like some people. I saw a picture of one house where a huge pine tree essentially cut the house in two down to the slab. I came back to hot humid 90+ temperatures. I was able to acquire a generator and small window A/C unit for one room to sleep. That was the only thing that made it tolerable.

Can still remember the smell of cleaning out the big chest freezer after 10 days of no power before we got home.

I call my Rita experience "a vacation to hell followed by a camping trip to hell".

Doc

It took 24 hours to go from Houston to Nacogdoches (140 miles) for Rita. Insane.

Pard4Life
November 7th, 2012, 12:29 PM
NYC will argue that their problem is that everything is underground... and it's a low laying island. Of course nobody recalls that the Blizzard of 1888 is why everything is underground to begin with.

They would best be suited to not put substations and transformers as close to the ground as now.

Elsewhere, I'm reading criticism that putting wires underground is expensive and makes repairs more difficult. And, gas stations may be recalibrated to accept generators. Florida made such a transformation in 2007 I understand. Station owners many of whom are small business owners, are saying that it would be too cost burdensome ie $50,000 to achieve generator compatibility.

TheBoyWhoSeaWolf
November 7th, 2012, 12:49 PM
You'll all be happy to know that my power was restored last night and my family got to sleep in a heated house ... and that this morning the latest storm knocked it out again

Twentysix
November 7th, 2012, 12:50 PM
You'll all be happy to know that my power was restored last night and my family got to sleep in a heated house ... and that this morning the latest storm knocked it out again


I was happy until I got to the end of your post :(

Twentysix
November 7th, 2012, 12:52 PM
NYC will argue that their problem is that everything is underground... and it's a low laying island. Of course nobody recalls that the Blizzard of 1888 is why everything is underground to begin with.

They would best be suited to not put substations and transformers as close to the ground as now.

Elsewhere, I'm reading criticism that putting wires underground is expensive and makes repairs more difficult. And, gas stations may be recalibrated to accept generators. Florida made such a transformation in 2007 I understand. Station owners many of whom are small business owners, are saying that it would be too cost burdensome ie $50,000 to achieve generator compatibility.

I take it in NYC the vaults are not water tight.

eaglesrback
November 7th, 2012, 01:18 PM
But I thought the President fixed eveything up there?????

Pard4Life
November 7th, 2012, 02:31 PM
But I thought the President fixed eveything up there?????

Maybe, I thought I saw him fixing my utility pole with Chris Christie.

Pard4Life
November 7th, 2012, 02:33 PM
I take it in NYC the vaults are not water tight.

Good question... I assume so. The NY Fed sits in Lower Manhatthan but on a small hill. It's not as low as the NYSE

UD77
November 7th, 2012, 02:46 PM
I see a big growth in the birth rate around July 2013. This was a strange storm. The eye went pretty much over our house and we did not lose power, no damage either. I feel really sorry for all those that lost their houses, bad damage or are still without power.

TheRevSFA
November 7th, 2012, 02:52 PM
Well there's not much to do to keep warm in cold weather except for play hockey and ****...

eaglesrback
November 7th, 2012, 04:22 PM
Maybe, I thought I saw him fixing my utility pole with Chris Christie.

I thought the Gov.was fixing the presidents pole,what a suck up..........

Engineer86
November 7th, 2012, 05:24 PM
I thought the Gov.was fixing the presidents pole,what a suck up..........

Think about what his plans are for 2016, now think of how a Romney win in 2012 would impact that. He is busy playing up this latest storm. Today I learned that our office will likely remain without power for more days because JCPL had to move all resources currently in our area to "support Govenor priorities". Fraud

Seawolf97
November 7th, 2012, 08:54 PM
Hang in there my friend ! When I lived in Buffalo we went 4 days without power due to snow and ice knocking out a sub station in December. Buffalo is cold with heat without it it is down right nasty . I feel your pain.

ASU_Fanatic
November 7th, 2012, 09:03 PM
the title of this topic rhymes lol hope you get power back soon