Sunday, December 17 - Monday, December 18, 2023 Storm

[Lava Rock]

Just got power. 75hrs. 2nd longest outage since Irene in 2011.

[tamarack]

77 and counting here.  Longest by far since 1998, which was 95 hours - thankfully, nothing broke in the 400 feet from house to Brunswick Ave back then, or it would've over 300.  We're 2,000 feet from power this time.

[OceanStWx]

On 12/20/2023 at 9:04 AM, LSC97wxnut said:

I wonder if part of the power restoration issue is, as many people mentioned here, this looked to be a normal wind event vs the high impact one it became?

As such, utilities didn't call in outside crews before hand to have them ready to go and are now playing catch-up?

I think it was a pretty normal wind event from a magnitude perspective, which is how the utilities prepare. Everything is based on wind speeds and time of year (relative to leaves). The high impacts I think came from a longer duration 50+ mph from a classically damaging direction and over a large area. 

On 12/20/2023 at 7:13 PM, Damage In Tolland said:

Where’s the widespread 60-80 from E MA to Maine?

In your dreams? 

I just don't see evidence that 60+ was that widespread. But the inland penetration of 50+ mph winds was pretty expansive. 

[Damage In Tolland]

8 hours ago, OceanStWx said:

I think it was a pretty normal wind event from a magnitude perspective, which is how the utilities prepare. Everything is based on wind speeds and time of year (relative to leaves). The high impacts I think came from a longer duration 50+ mph from a classically damaging direction and over a large area. 

In your dreams? 

I just don't see evidence that 60+ was that widespread. But the inland penetration of 50+ mph winds was pretty expansive. 

[tamarack]

Power returned 5:05 last evening, a few minutes shy of 101 hours.

And IIRC, CMP had called in ~200 out-of-state crews before Monday.  The rain, warmth (unfrozen ground) and long duration wind did the damage.  Change any of them and the results would've been less catastrophic.

[OceanStWx]

14 hours ago, Damage In Tolland said:

You're proving my point. This isn't widespread. Criehaven is a rock in the middle of the Gulf of Maine. 

It was a good wind event and high impact, but I don't believe the impacts came from the magnitude of the wind gusts. I think it was the duration of the wind gusts and antecedent conditions that made this one of the record books.