thunderbolt Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 In reference to power outages in the Bucks County area Sandy was a lot worse than this past storm the reason I know this is a friend of mine is a 911 dispatcher and he said the hardest hit areas was up in Warminster, lower South and upper South Hampton with power outages with this last ice storm And he also worked when Sandy hit because when Sandy hit it effected all of lower bucks which is a greater population Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NEchestercountydude Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 I was not suggesting you do the work but rather not delaying the hiring of a crew to make the area safe. When the demand is high for such services (prices are high too) it might be better to address dangerous conditions first and leave the full clean up for later, which you could potentially handle yourself or hire. For example, we had trees on structures, blocking access, crushing fence lines and many branches which could have fallen at anytime. So we handled that stuff ASAP in November and did not complete the clean up job until April. We did replace the roof in November because 1/3 of it was gone and even that job was handled before the adjuster came. I simply handed him a package of photos, quotes and final invoices. Most impressive was the pictures of thousands of pieces of roof tiles that littered the surrounding area paired with the damaged roof photos. BY all means be safe when it comes to tree work. It is VERY dangerous when clearing damaged woods. If the limb you are looking at does not get you the one behind you that you did not realize was loose will. None of the fallen trees are in a position where they have to be moved immediately. The only tree caused damage done on my property was our shed had a few limbs break through the roof. We could live the next 2-3 weeks with the fallen tree's still there no problem. I will most likely wait for an adjuster to come honestly. p.s. here in Malvern this was much worse than Sandy, but I'm only speaking for my town when comparing the two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iceman56 Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 Sandy's damage increased the further east you went while this storm is worse the further west you go. Here in Chesco, damage is many times worse this time around. Tree damage will be visible for many years to come. Day 3 with no power. No attempt has been made to even remove the trees that pulled the wires down, broke poles, and even crushed traffic lights. I think PECO's estimate to have me on by tomorrow night is very optomistic. The problem with cleanup while the trees are still heavy with ice is that while running the saw you can't hear something break loose, so you get no warning to get out of the way. Hardhats are mandatory. Although I don't have one, I can look ridiculous with my son's skateboard helmet instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
famartin Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 Ray - How do you determine ice accretion with uniform coating plus icicles hanging down. Highly variable from branch to branch and wire to wire but a significant component compared to other local ice storms. I presume due to the heavy rain and marginal temps.Particularly on some wires icicles must have been the predominant weighting. Basically the same way you measure snow: Flat surface. CoCoRaHS made a video about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chubbs Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 Ray - Thanks. Impacts in this area were much more severe than indicated by ice thickness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FUCK JOE BIDEN Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 The hype for "future storms" has gotten so great that our home owners insurance said they won't take care of the fallen trees in our yard for 2-3 weeks, because they feel more damage may happen. probably can't access the trees with all the snow and ice remaining. I've got tree work here at the building but no way i expect my contractor to get to them at least until a big melt off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windvane Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 Well if you want a contest of time... Facebook does not count LOL only in Gods country AWE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChescoWx Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 28.8 and still almost no melting.....power still out ....55 hours and counting Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiehardFF Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 As a Firefighter/EMT in Central Bucks, I can say that this storm is comparable to Sandy. However, its dependent on location. Sandy was a lot worse in Upper Bucks. The opposite is true in Lower Bucks. Rt. 1 was a diaster. The call volume was most likely close on Wedensday compared to Sandy but not the total call volume if that makes sense. Sandy was a longer duration event. Warminster got close to 70 calls on Wedensday. My day started at 3am(very fun drive to station) and lasted well into the night, got a break and back out again. Yesterday was a lot better. 70% of my coverage area is out of power(including the main station). Today had been busy so far due to PECO trying to restore power. This causes a lot of alarms and surges plus branches catching on fire. IMHO, most people were not prepared. The townships just went off of the NWS. They werent too far off but were a little low on the ice amounts and the overall seriousness. In fact, most schools closed around 5am Wedensday. All in all, we handled everything. There is always a fire or a horrible incident during a big storm(yet again). I use this forum to help us prepare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazwoper Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 because it's a silly question Where I am in Bucks, it is comparable to Sandy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief83 Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 This storm was worse than Sandy here for 2 reasons. This storm 90% of electric service in Worcester townsip lost power. That is far more than Sandy. Sandy outages had no risk of frozen pipes, or miserable cold. This is nasty coditions aside from the inconvience. Still no sign of getting it restored. Im hoping for Saturday, but not optimitic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackhound Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 Usually in our immediate neighborhood the source of the power outage is very clear -- a tree down on power lines at the end of the street or over on Stoney Bank Road. PECO says our outage is affecting 209 customers which is pretty much our immediate neighborhood and environs, but this time there's no obvious clue as to the source of the power outage. No downed lines or fallen trees. The house this morning was 39 degrees. PECO says we should be restored by Saturday night 11 pm. Or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiehardFF Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 Where I am in Bucks, it is comparable to Sandy. Most of Wrightstown is still out of power and lots of road closures. Fire House still out and the Publick House. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiehardFF Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 Usually in our immediate neighborhood the source of the power outage is very clear -- a tree down on power lines at the end of the street or over on Stoney Bank Road. PECO says our outage is affecting 209 customers which is pretty much our immediate neighborhood and environs, but this time there's no obvious clue as to the source of the power outage. No downed lines or fallen trees. The house this morning was 39 degrees. PECO says we should be restored by Saturday night 11 pm. Or not. Usually PECO shuts down a grid or the main feeder primary lines(they then supply the secondary lines) in the area when a outage is reported. Us(first responders) don't like active wires, so we tell the county who tells PECO. PECO makes a huge list, and most likely does what they can(turning off the power). That's my best guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rib Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 PECO said they are going to have my power back on by tonight. Half my township was without power earlier today. That number has fallen about 1,500 so they are in the area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiehardFF Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 In reference to power outages in the Bucks County area Sandy was a lot worse than this past storm the reason I know this is a friend of mine is a 911 dispatcher and he said the hardest hit areas was up in Warminster, lower South and upper South Hampton with power outages with this last ice storm And he also worked when Sandy hit because when Sandy hit it effected all of lower bucks which is a greater population That's cool! I cant send you a PM for some reason, but I would like to know who. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FUCK JOE BIDEN Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 this storm was worse than sandy for the 6 communities we have in PA. 4 of them lost power, 2 only came back on-line last night. We have generator power for the medical wings and lighting in assisted/independent living. But 15 degrees for low temps gets thing cold inside quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thunderbolt Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 Diehard ff it was disp 271 he is a friend of mine dont get me wrong this was a very bad storm by the way I used to be chief 7 Wm Penn fire co Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allsnow Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 was impressed with the tree damage in the Holmdel area, a few decent size trees down and tons of branches. That little bit of elevation mad a diff then compared to hazlet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiehardFF Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 Diehard ff it was disp 271 he is a friend of mine dont get me wrong this was a very bad storm by the way I used to be chief 7 Wm Penn fire co Awesome man! I run with 35/95 and 125/135. I believe that is scooter, if so, he was on dispatch, did a great job. He worked sandy and this storm. I am pretty sure no other man has said the word "wires" as much as he has lol. Just non stop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SP Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Made it to the Poconos cabin and there is an easy 17-18" of new since I left last weekend. Bit of crust on top. It was cool driving up through 78 to 33, you could see the area of ice from 78 before the big hills. The trees were caked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rib Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 I got a call from PECO around 4:30 saying my power was restored for the third time in two days except this time, they were correct. I finally have power. For Southeast Mont Co, this storm was far more destructive than Sandy. Driving around today I noticed there were more power trucks than cars on the road. I saw a few from Mass drive by. They even drove down from Canada. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KamuSnow Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Usually in our immediate neighborhood the source of the power outage is very clear -- a tree down on power lines at the end of the street or over on Stoney Bank Road. PECO says our outage is affecting 209 customers which is pretty much our immediate neighborhood and environs, but this time there's no obvious clue as to the source of the power outage. No downed lines or fallen trees. The house this morning was 39 degrees. PECO says we should be restored by Saturday night 11 pm. Or not. That was the estimate for here too, as of yesterday. The group I was in was 228 customers. I thought it might take till late Saturday or even longer, since it made sense that they would take care of the largest groups of affected customers first, and the percentage in Delco was a lot lower than in Montgomery, Chester, or Bucks counties, meaning there would likely be less crews in this area. But the good news is the power came back today at around 1:50 pm. This is how I felt (credit to a MA poster before a snow event earlier this year): http://www.reactiongifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Ron-Paul_Its-Happening1.gif I'd never experienced an extended power outage in the middle of winter, I'll call it interesting, and then some. I have a generator, not large enough for the whole house, but I got the heating system running off it last night, which was major. After the heat, the next level was the water, and since we have a well, we had to get creative due to the limits of the generator. Running water is awesome, isn't it? The outside is a bit messy, no major damage fortunately other than to the bamboo forest. Learned a couple of things for next time. Good luck to Paul and Blackhound and anyone else still without power! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White_Mtn_Wx Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Sounds like you have a good setup. The stove is huge and why they are so worth it in rural areas. Don't forget the water you have in the HWH, use snow for the toilets unless they require a grinder pump. If you have an inverter that's always good to run pumps in a pinch. Done it off my truck to fill a few hundred gallons during sandy. Generators are a funny thing and you are right to conserve gas given you have the heat covered and lighting is simple with electric, candle power and lanterns. I have many generators for business and personal use and outside of the pre-wired NG or LP fueled solutions I have been helping many friends and family get setup with economical backup solutions using a simple manual transfer switch, honda 2000w inverter (you can pair them up or just buy one) and some simple wiring work. People think you need huge systems but it's amazing what you can do with 14 amps and economical gas requirements that are 10-20% of what the larger generac 5500w + units require. Be safe! If you need help with the deer meat I would be happy to store it for you Thanks SP. Power is back, deer meat is safe. I will look into what you've suggested, I'm all about efficiency. Although I burn wood as a primary heat source, our forced hot air is LP generated. I have an LP generator in addition to a gas powered unit but would like to setup the LP unit to run off of the large tank with the switch and wiring you mentioned. Anything you could share via PM would be greatly appreciated! I would like to set up something similar for our business as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackhound Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 That was the estimate for here too, as of yesterday. The group I was in was 228 customers. I thought it might take till late Saturday or even longer, since it made sense that they would take care of the largest groups of affected customers first, and the percentage in Delco was a lot lower than in Montgomery, Chester, or Bucks counties, meaning there would likely be less crews in this area. But the good news is the power came back today at around 1:50 pm. This is how I felt (credit to a MA poster before a snow event earlier this year): http://www.reactiongifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Ron-Paul_Its-Happening1.gif I'd never experienced an extended power outage in the middle of winter, I'll call it interesting, and then some. I have a generator, not large enough for the whole house, but I got the heating system running off it last night, which was major. After the heat, the next level was the water, and since we have a well, we had to get creative due to the limits of the generator. Running water is awesome, isn't it? The outside is a bit messy, no major damage fortunately other than to the bamboo forest. Learned a couple of things for next time. Good luck to Paul and Blackhound and anyone else still without power! Thanks Kamu. Our power came back around 10 p.m. We have a generator too with a transfer switch that runs the well, frig and freezer, microwave and half of the lights. We are definitely getting the heating system hooked in. We were here for the 1994 ice extravaganza but our power was out much longer this time. We lose power way too frequently both summer and winter so an upgrade to our current generator setup is past due. Good luck to anyone still offline. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacChump Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 G Mills powered up...great news! Hope the rest of the PA folks here get restored soon... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChescoWx Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Great news the power came back on in NW Chesco this evening.....83 hours out a new record I hope we don't break anytime soon Thanks for all the well wishes and I hope those without get back on line soon! Take care Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Animal Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Great news the power came back on in NW Chesco this evening.....83 hours out a new record I hope we don't break anytime soon Thanks for all the well wishes and I hope those without get back on line soon! Take care Paul Sad PECO is like the former LIPCO on long island . Those bums got tossed out and a new company manages operations is my understanding. You pay so much but all you get is excuses why it takes time to fix minor issues. Seems PECO has no plan for the big ticket event. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief83 Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Still no power. So i move some wiring so the generator gives me hot water only to find an oil burner issue. Get that repaired so we have hot water. After my wife and i get showers the pump tank alert goes off. Tomorrow either brings power or another rewire to get the sewer tank pump to run. What next???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SP Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Still no power. So i move some wiring so the generator gives me hot water only to find an oil burner issue. Get that repaired so we have hot water. After my wife and i get showers the pump tank alert goes off. Tomorrow either brings power or another rewire to get the sewer tank pump to run. What next???? How are you with heat? I know all about doing the dance with generators. Cabin has a grinder pump, well pump, electric heat, electric hot water and let's not forget the sump pump. So after the big pocono ice storm I went with a whole house generator with auto transfer switch running on propane, 3-5 day supply depending upon load. Also installed a 68,000btu pellet stove in the lower level, a lot cheaper to run than electric heat. I would have done a wood stove but the house goes down the side of a mountain and this was simple, cheap in the off season and requires very little run time maintenance. If you have a gas generator, depending upon the amp load you might be best served with a manual transfer switch that is wired to the "things" you need most. Even if you exceed the load capacity you can manually regulate what's hot and what's not, so I suggest getting a switch with 8-12 breakers. Some even have gauges that let you see the amp draw to help distribute. If using propane or NG is not an option, my recommendation on generator is the honda inverters, and I highly recommend the paired 2000w units, one standard and the other is a combi that comes wig a 30amp outlet. You can use one or both, giving you about 27 amps stnd load wi a boost to 30....cut that in half if only one unit is running. Both use about a gallon of gas per 8-9 hours, which is huge during crisis time. I can stretch a 5 gallon can for several days using one gen and guess what if you bring up one ckt at a time you can run a lot with 13 amps. I had big screen tv, house wireless/cable etc, plenty of lights, the first floor furnace/fan, device charging station and a fridge. Just had to figure out what order to power them up in....fridge,furnace, and then the rest. The inverters also have DC output which is HUGE for running pumps, charging car battery and other goodies. I have several generac 5500w units and they are great, work fine but suck about 7 gallons of gas per day with scattered runtime through morning, afternoon and evening. Too high a price was the lesson learned during sandy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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