6-30-12

4:55pm

I hope everyone survived the storm safely!

We lost power as soon as the storm arrived yesterday

about 4:30pm.  It looks pretty bad around us.

We went out and looked around yesterday evening

and had to go on one call to Tony's work.

Power out along with MANY downed trees.

It almost looks like a tornado hit. 

We are under a state of emergency because of this storm.

We topped wind speeds of 80-85 miles per hour.

Winds were stronger than the wind storm from

Hurricane Ike which topped at around 75 mph. 

My brother gave my mom a generator to use.

We unloaded it for them and helped them set it up.

We do not have one.

We plugged their fridge and chest freezer into along

with a fan to help keep them cool since

we are under a heat advisory. 

Temps at the moment are 91 and feels like 93 degrees.

This really sucks having no power and no ac.

Our truck's ac isn't exactly working the greatest

so we've been sweating our you know what's

off driving around.

I read online on WBNS10TV that there was 

over 350,000 power outages and it could

take 3-5 days to restore power.

MANY traffic lights are not working

and it's a great challenge driving around.

We have found ice at Kroger and stocked a

cooler in the back of the truck with water, pop

and basic picnic supplies so we can eat.

We put some of our perishables from our fridge and

freezer into mom's.  We'll probably loose the rest.

We are currently at Tony's work hanging out by the pool.

They have power here.  Sitting by the pool and

have my computer plugged in and using the

free wi-fi at the pool.  Still hot as heck!!!!

It almost feels like we have been camping out

surviving off things in the back of the truck.

Since the storm, our cell phone service works

about half and shuts off most calls we try to make.

That's another reason for hanging out at his work,

so he can get the on call emergency calls or at

least check in the office to see if any came in.

Gas is a little hard to come by.

Some stations are open but they have

shut the gas tanks down due to the power outages.

If you find gas some lines are long

and there's a wait.

Last night almost everything was closed

that was normally open.  

We had to find a fast food joint

because we hadn't eaten and I didn't

dare open the fridge to get anything out

with no power.  Let me tell ya, if there

was a fast food place open it was PACKED

inside and out.  We ended up at Arby's, not by first choice,

and had to wait about 30 minutes in a LONG line.

They had an excellent crew working that night

and kept their calm really well.  Their computers

and registers were down and had to write down

all orders on pieces of paper.  

The trips around town, back and forth to Tony's work,

has been an obstacle!  Roads closed to downed trees

and lots of traffic at major intersections due

to lights being out.  We have ventured

around the back roads to get to places much easier

and to check out the damage.  We went over

to University Village, a place Tony worked for MANY

years and where we had first met.

That place literally looked like a war zone!!

Almost every tree looked like it was laying

down in the yards and across roadways.

There was even a car that got hit by a fallen

tree that sustained major damage with

broken out windows and a crushed top and trunk.

I'm trying to type quickly as I don't know when and if

we'll have to jump up any time now to go on call

or for other things.  Plus the internet connection goes in and

out and isn't the greatest here. If there are mistakes oh well,

I can't see the best on the computer outside.

Just trying to jump in here for a moment while

I can to let y'all know we are ok. 

Here are the photos I got from yesterday evening.

My camera battery died and I have it recharging

at the maintenance shop to get more

photos in the daylight hours.

It was getting dark last night when

I took the ones that I did so they are not the

greatest but you get the idea.

There is a couple from Tony's work

from where shingles and siding was coming off

buildings and the last couple of photos was

two different fires where we could see smoke

off in the distance.  We had a small one across

the street from us due to a tree limb on a power

line which caused the transformer to blow.

The fire put itself out.

Tree down across Ferris Rd.

 Tree down and blocking Cooke Rd.

 Tree fell on house near Whetstone Park.

 Saw many firetrucks and ambulances out.

 Trees on railroad track near Upper Arlington.

Could see a train headlight in distance.

Tree down at Tony's work by the pool

we are currently sitting at. 

 Some of the buildings at Tony's work.

There was others but my camera battery died

to take more photos.

 Billboard on Olentangy across from the hospital

falling over.  It looks worse today.

 These photos were taken from University Village Apartments.

It looks much worse in person!

These pictures do not speak for themselves.

It is VERY bad over there.

Might drive through there again this evening

and get more photos.

 Hotel by University Village.

 Smoke seen from Olentangy and Ackerman.

Working on uploading videos.  It's 6:00pm.

More Than 345.000 Central Ohio AEP Customers Still Without Power

7:35pm


Thought it was going to rain so I put the computer
away considering I have to use it outdoors at the pool.
I was just reading WBNS10TV's post on Facebook
about estimated times for power restoration
for different suburbs and parts of Columbus.
I about crapped myself when I saw they
had our area listed to be restored by midnight JULY 7TH!!!
THAT'S A WEEK FROM NOW!!!
And it's supposed to be in the 90's everyday. 
I seriously thought about putting some blankets down
under the carport and sleeping outside.  
I could not sleep well last night.
From 3:00-4:00am I was sitting out on the
front doorstep.  
Still sitting by the pool and over at Tony's
coworkers apartment.  Starting to feel a couple rain
drops so may have to put the computer back
in the truck again.