More Than 1.5 Million Without Power; 4 Killed

Channel 4 NBC Washington ^ | 6/30/12

[yorkie]

FNC (Fox News Channel) is now reporting that ten people have now perished in this storm!

[Rearden]

My neighbor has a cabin next to my place but his home is in Arlington. He is at the cabin, but his wife is home. When I last saw him at 11:00 this morning, the power was still out in Arlington according to his wife.

[Strategerist]

Looks like the the good LORD maybe trying to tell us something!

1) And of course I'm sure you presume to know what that is.

2) For an all-powerful deity this seems to be an awfully imprecise and unclear means of messaging.

[ConorMacNessa]

Hi, Yorkie! We are not blacked out but many very close to us are. We live about 2-3 miles west of U.S. 1 - apparently all the stores along that highway are out. My son John works as a lifeguard - his pool is having an outage. The temperature here yesterday was honest three-digits. About 105 in Downtown Washington - 102 out here in Laurel. Very unusual for this area. When the storms came last night they were violent. I shut the computer down at 10:50 and went to bed.



Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[PowderMonkey]

Mother just got through on cell phone long enough to report power restored as of 1300 hrs. Land line still out. Still no contact with sister (her boy’s on a respirator).

[yorkie]

Conor - if your electricity does go out,
Be sure to have the important things
within reach in the darkness!

*****grin*****

[Donnafrflorida]

remember when lightening hit the white house?
remember the lottery 666 the day after election?
ah hem.... maybe

[yorkie]

Prayers for your sister and her son are going up right now, PM!

[dragnet2]

More gloom and doom...

We need to import millions more foreigners, and keep those borders open for millions more..

We have plenty of energy, resources and jobs and for all!

[jimtorr]

Conor..., I’m located North of you, in Columbia. When the front first hit here, there were a number of gusts in the 40mph range, coming from the W to SSW. About ten seconds of hail at the leading edge, then only rain, which never really got torrential.

The lights were flickering frequently while the high gusts blew thru. About twenty minutes after the front hit, the gusts began to die down, lights stopped flickering and the barometer began to rise. The outside temperature at my place dropped from 88 to 68 in 30 minutes.

I could see near constant lightning to the North and South of Columbia for perhaps two hours. Remarkably, there were very few loud thunderclaps near my location in N Columbia.

[ConorMacNessa]

My wife is at Laurel Lakes on U.S. 1 right now. All the stores in the Laurel Lakes Shopping Center are closed. I don't know about the ones on the East side of the road. She had to follow a circuitous route to get there - lots of road closures.



Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

My commute this morning was surreal. I drove one stretch of around five miles near my house at about quarter to five, and saw basically nothing but darkness. Most of the lights on I-270 were out as well. Lots of tree limbs down, too.

Maryland “Freak State” PING!

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

flap your arms or wave them around in front of your face. /sarc

[Ellendra]

I was at a wilderness survival school once during a week when the temps hit 105, and the sun was beating down so much that the bark on the trees was crackling like breakfast cereal. I found out by accident that if you take a lightweight shawl or one of those wraparound skirts, dip it in water, and drape it over your shoulders, it’s like wearing your own personal air conditioner. It keeps the sun off your skin, but lets the breezes through, and the evaporation cools you down a lot.

It looks a little silly, but it works.

[beandog]

I live in Bethesda. Power went out about 10-1030 last night and is still out. A couple of years ago we were upgrading several rooms in our house during the horrible winter storm when we lost power for days. I insisted that we put in a natural gas generator. Best thing we ever did. It turns itself on when the power goes out and turns itself off when the power comes on. No more worrying about loss of food or freezing to death in the winter.

It does run the house heat because it’s gas, but it doesn’t run the whole house air conditioner. Fortunately we put in a separate unit in the kitchen which does run on the generator. It’s a nice cool 74 were I’m sitting. I’m planning on sleeping in the kitchen. The rest of the house isn’t too bad because all the ceiling fans are on. We also have all our tvs, computers, lights and all the refrigerators/freezers.

It took me 3 1/2 hours to clean the pool, and front and back yards. It was a disaster. We’re going to try and go out tonight so hopefully the roads are better than they were this morning.

[bgill]

Cleopatra had the right idea. A couple of hunks with fans and another with a bowl of grapes.

[fatima]

Prayers PowderMonkey ((((Hugs))))Waiting to hear from our Granddaughter who headed down the shore right before storm hit at 1 AM.I know we had 70 mph winds at our shore place and lines and trees are down and she was going to be near there.No news is good news.

[fatima]

Granddaughter just called.All is OK.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

And obummer hasn't told 'em to stick a pinwheel out the window?

[ConorMacNessa]

I had to venture out a little before 4:00 to take my son to work. All the lights were out on U.S. 1 - total anarchy! Apparently some people either don't know, or just don't care, that an intersection with the lights out becomes a four-way stop. I nearly got T-boned by some jackass who didn't want to wait his turn. Damned savages!!!



Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[CatherineofAragon]

LOL!

[magooey]

I am not far from you in Rockville. The power went out at the same time, but it just came back around 2 hours ago. Hope your juice comes back on shortly.

[Monorprise]

Yea when i first saw the headline it was like District of Columbia who cares what happens to them. But then its like O yea this hit a lot more people than just D.C.

[simplesimon]

Howdy Neighbor ~

My area was without before 5pm and it just came back on after 11:30 Am this morning.

About 10 minutes after it came back on, a friend was over and left to go see if their electric was on down the street ( we live in the country ) and zoomed the golf cart back lickety split and said he thought the neighbor across teh streets house was on fire.
It was on fire.

Total loss and destruction and their 3 little Chiuauhua’s perished in the fire.

They were not home and thankfully so.

There was no looting or destruction here either.

[Viking2002]

My mother and I were e-mailing each other last night (she's in Cumberland), and I was watching the radar online. As the storms got closer and it got worse outside, she said she was watching The Weather Channel when the cable went out and all the streetlights went dark, then the windows started to rattle. I told her to beat feet for the basement, and she grabbed her purse, keys, the dog, and her laptop, and took off. She said this morning that she came upstairs around midnight after the weather died down to take the dog out for one last constitutional, and it was pitch black, but she could hear voices, and people were out in their yards. This morning it was carnage. The fire department and Asplundh Tree were there to clear the roads - there are only two ways off the ridge where she lives, and they were both blocked with downed trees. They confirmed through the weather service that it was a tornado - it touched down across the street and literally corkscrewed a 125 year old oak right out of the ground. Branches were blown through her front porch posts and lodged there; the rest of the yard is littered with branches and debris. Another neighbor lost some windows and his rain gutters; a third had to abandon her home when a tree came down and took off the back of her house. She said the entire ridge looked like a war zone. Thousands are still without power up there, and a lot of businesses were closed today. From what she described, it came down between the neighbor's houses across the street and went right by the end of our driveway. I told her only the grace of God kept it from touching down about 50 yards closer, or she'd have no roof. I guess it missed the power lines, because she still had lights when she went outside, but everything else was dark. She said she's never experienced such an eerie pitch blackness like that before, and some of the neighbors said they were never more scared in their lives.

"As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their hearts desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron."

--H.L. Mencken, The Baltimore Evening Sun, July 26, 1920

[House Atreides]

“Looks like the the good LORD maybe trying to tell us something!”
***********************************************************
Bury your power lines?

[Albion Wilde]

We need to import millions more foreigners, and keep those borders open for millions more..

We could use them to run on a big hamster wheel generator over there in Arlington...

[patton]

Quick lessons from this little inconconvience -

CASH. Lots of stores open, cash only. No power or telecom.

Water - 10 gals is a good start. FC Water announced a boil-it warning this AM.

Well, actually, the radio announced it (WTOP DC). And it was wrong. FC water is huge, they announced all FC water should boil or bleach. When FC water finally got on the radio, they were horrified - uh, no. Only Dunn Loring, Vienna, Tysons. and Merrifield.

Radio is fog of war, full of it.

[Mamzelle]

For those exhibiting symptoms of heat stroke...ummmm...what should they do?

[momincombatboots]

Greenbrier county West Virginia hit hard. We don’t expect power for a week.

[Kartographer]

If you suspect heatstroke:

Move the person out of the sun and into a shady or air-conditioned space.
Call 911 or emergency medical help.
Cool the person by covering with damp sheets or by spraying with cool water. Direct air onto the person with a fan or newspaper.
Have the person drink cool water or other nonalcoholic beverage without caffeine, if he or she is able.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/first-aid-heatstroke/FA00019

[patton]

911 was out for two days over Northern VA.

Nobody but the democrats noticed.

[Mamzelle]

Thank you—the point I was getting at is that you need an ER and EMTs and ambulances...and there may not be all you need available.

[madison10]

Yes...maybe.

Prov. 17:23
23 A wicked man accepts a bribe behind the back to pervert the ways of justice.

Prov. 18:5
5 It is not good to show partiality to the wicked, or to overthrow the righteous in judgment.

Prov. 18:13
13 He who answers a matter before he hears it, It is folly and shame to him.

Prov. 21:13, 15
13 Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be heard. 15 It is a joy for the just to do justice, but destruction will come to the workers of iniquity.

[madison10]

I don’t usually quote scripture, but the ruling had me thinking about these verses a great deal...so here they are.

[Pharmboy]

Just heard that my office near Tysons got its power back today; we live in Bethesda, but nothing. Staying with daughter and son in law in Gaithersburg. The worst power company in the US (PEPCO) said hopefully by FRIDAY! Sheesh...I detest them...

[patton]

Dunn Loring, Vienna, Tysons. and Merrifield - do not drink the water. 8 drops of bleach per gallon, stir, let rest 1/2 hour, then you can drink it.

Or boil it for 15 minutes and let cool.

FC water lost a pumping station that serves the above, and is concerned with backflow contamination.

[Pharmboy]

Thank you for the info...did not know that. Strictly bottled water for us until further notice.

Freegards,
Pb

[EDINVA]

Call the Arlington Police non-emergency number,(703)558-2222. Explain your family’s situation, and ask if a patrol working that area could stop by. I know they are concerned about the elderly.

911 phones are only semi-restored, last I heard. You have the advantage of Arlington’s being a fairly populous area, so restoration work would be completed there more quickly than in a remote, rural area.

[mware]

ED I was thinking about you this weekend.

Glad to hear from you.

My area of South Jersey got off very easy (only lost power for about 1/2 an hour.

The folks down the road about 10 miles will not have electicity for another 6 days.

Trying to find ice is like looking for hens teeth.

Two young kids lost their lives during the storm. The families were camping and a tree fell on their tent.

[EDINVA]

m, we were also relatively lucky in this huge mess. Lost power late Fr nite, were gone all day Saturday (to a wedding in Williamsburg). By the time we returned, power was on (except for internet that returned mid-afternoon today). Especially with these temps, it’s hard to imagine being without power for a week as is being projected for some areas.

The loss of life is hardest to grasp. I would bet when all is said and done, most fatalities will be due to falling trees Locally a 27 year old was killed when a tree fell on his car and an older man was electrocuted with fallen wires. Pretty dang serious stuff.

This storm really ‘came out of nowhere.’ To be honest, when I woke up SA am, I had no idea of how severe and widespread the damage was. Fortunately, I had a battery operated radio working. Better yet, I was able to make a pot of coffee!!!

Will be in your fine state in 2 more weeks for my annual stay at LBI. Can hardly wait!

[Ancesthntr]

Turn on the air conditioner or fan.

Yeah, thanks, federal morons - I'll turn them on just as soon as the juice comes on.

We actually PAY people to say this?

[Ancesthntr]

Turn on the air conditioner or fan.

Yeah, thanks, federal morons - I'll turn them on just as soon as the juice comes on.

We actually PAY people to say this?

[Kartographer]

You think that’s good? Take a look here:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2902114/posts#comment

They were urging people with power phone or net to telecommute to work!!! ;-)

[pepsionice]

I moved into the Arlington region in 2010 and kinda surprised at the continual episodes that come up about every six months. This time around....the cellphone towers were a major issue and you had to travel around to find the right tower that still had some power to it. Over the past couple of years....a fair number of local folks have dumped regular phone service, and gone to cellphone only...which means there is no plan “B”. My power was out for twenty hours, but they had strongly advised me that it could be out for seventy-two hours. Needless to say....a good number of folks just packed up a suitcase and left the area until the 4th.

[PowderMonkey]

I've noticed interruptions in service (phone and power) are occurring with greater frequency. Though the vast majority are of very short duration, some just momentary flickers, they remain problematic. It's starting to mimic conditions I've experienced living in Third World countries. How much longer before water, phone, and power services become limited to only 6 hours per day? Given this recent experience, for the prepared it would be a survivable inconvenience. For the rest, a life threatening hardship.

[Ancesthntr]

They were urging people with power phone or net to telecommute to work!!! ;-)

I have an idea - let's just surrender to the Chinese, right now. The end result will be the same, and if we give up without a struggle maybe they'll be lenient. OTOH, maybe the laughs they'll get at the sheer, mind-numbing stupidity on the part of our government will also get us some leniency.