Hi Kitties!
We have hijacked another computer for this post. Late Friday night an unpredicted and fierce storm hit our area and we have been without power ever since. Because we have been "in the dark", some of our facts may be off slightly, but this is what we gather happened.
Friday we had record breaking temperatures of 104 F (40 C - that just doesn't seem very hot, but was it ever!) and the forecast was for a slight chance of thunderstorms. Meanwhile, out towards Chicago, a line of thunderstorms was intensifying and widening, and moving due east. Around 10 PM, BGE (our electric company) realized some major storms were approaching. 10:30 PM they hit our house. (Our regular readers know we live about half way between Washington DC & Baltimore, Maryland.)
The winds were really scary, the house was moving and even the bed felt like it was moving too. By 10:45 our power was out. The storm continued on. It felt like a hurricane, or possibly a tornado, and the mom was listening for the roar that announces one.
Today's Washington Post & Baltimore Sun said the storm was a rare "derecho". Sort of like a tornado, but it moves in a straight line with straight winds. Winds were reported up to 80 MPH (35.77 m/s - that doesn't sound fast either). The three power companies that service the Northern Virginia/ DC and Maryland metropolitan area currently have about 390,000 customers each still without power - 2 days later and about 1,170,000 powerless. And so we wait....
All we know is that we have no AC, and the temperatures this week are going to be mid to upper 90s (35-37.2 C). BGE says it will be "deep into the week" before all power is restored. Some 650 crews are coming up from the south to help. Usually when they know there's violent weather, they pull in crews before the weather hits, but since this was a surprise storm, that didn't happen, so back up crews are days behind. They are going to be here on Monday.
The kitties are doing well, all things considered. Its not too bad on the lower floors of the house. Upstars is very hot, still everyone slept in their usual spots, but without snuggling. The mom was a little surprised, she figured the kitties would bail for cooler places.
All the food in the frig and freezer will have to be trashed. Fortunately, the mom decided to go food shopping Saturday morning instead of Friday after work. Boy, would she have been mad! (Those of you who saw her avatars know she has red hair.) The Girl, who has been working at a horse farm in Pennsylvania this summer, was supposed to come home on Tuesday for a couple days, but who knows if that will happen now.
Since the mom had never heard of a derecho before, she looked it up online and Wikipedia already has our derecho posted as an example! Its under the section called "Damage Risk". They don't miss a beat!
We aren't sure when we will be getting back to posting and commenting. The sooner the better! Take care. Happy Canada Day to our friends up north! In case we aren't up and running by the fourth, Happy Independence Day to our friends in the US. We'll try to post as we can.
26 comments:
We are glad you got through the wretched derecho without any injuries. Losing the food in the freezer is no good, but the humans and the cats are more important.
Those stroms sounded super scary. Mom and me are thankful that both humans and cats are okay after that storm. Purring that the electrity humans are able to restore power soon.
I'm just really glad you're all okay. May the purrs be with you. purrs
Very scary! We're glad you're okay, "just" sorely inconvenienced right now. And sorry the food in the fridge/freezer is toast, so to speak. That's not life and death, of course, but it's still no small matter to have to spend extra money that one might or might not have.
Sending you all purrs for your safety and well-being, and that your power is restored sooner than expected.
We were worried about y'all! Thank you for posting. All our fingers and toes are crossed for the power to be back on soon...our purrayers are with the workers who won't be getting much sleep for the next week or so.
Hang in there!
Thanks for the update. That all sounds absolutely awful! Is this why more and more people get generators for their houses?
Hope you get your power back asap!
Purrs,
The Chans
We are SO glad to hear from you, and to know you are all safe. Sorry to hear you are without power ... we hope it is restored soon. We're sending much love and lots of purrs and prayers.
Oh, dear. Once we were without power for days and it was hot, and mama had just filled our deep freeze. There was a lot of storm damage everywhere, we had no car, and when mom called the power company to ask what to do, they said get some ice. Carry ice home when it's 95 out?? Needless to say, mom then worked at a Catholic university, and she got some food after the power went on. Her office mate gave her a whole bag of groceries and others in the college contributed, too. The office pitched in for lots of families.
Have a neighborhood barbeque and eat all your frozen meat and stuff!
It was kinda boring for 4 days. No Animal Planet!! Good luck, and paws crossed you get power back soon. It's no fun when it's really hot!!
Oh Dog! I'm so sorry you're without power! It's so miserable outside but I'm glad you're not soo hot inside. Take care, and I pray you get your power back on real soon!
my thoughts have been with everyone with out power when I heard that there was a chance you would be with out it for a week. Almost twenty years ago we were with out power for a week due to an ice storm, so I can feel for you.
I hope that was an overestimate and they get your power back soon
Oh Dearz, We heard about da stormz late Friday night and Immediately started sending loud Purrayerz your way.We were furry wurried about you All, and poor Gabriel waz beside himself wif wurry ^..^.W were furry relieved to see you were able to post an update ::whew! sigh ov relief:: We purray you get your a/c up and running A S A P!! ^..^ we know how hotz you are down dere :((( we Glad efuryone iz doing az well az can be expected. Yeah, good thin mom didn't go foodshoppin ^..^ losin all dat food sux :(
We know about listening fur dat scarey sound,,, owr mom did it a couple ov weekendz ago when we had furry bad storm........ Boy !!! we sure bin havin sum really terrible weather this last year or so :( We sendin purrz, purrayers Hugz & Lotz ov kitty Kissez to you All ♥♥xoxoxo♥♥
Oui Oui
We were hanging out on twitter when the derecho hit and Mom follows a lot of folks who live in DC and N. VA and wow it was like "what is happening" kinda event. Everyone it seemed starting tweeting from their phones that electricity was out and that this major major storm hit suddenly. Mom also follows ALOT of weather twitters(because she is a weather nerd and also because all of our "weather" occurrences) and they were sending out alerts like crazy talking about the derecho. Mom knew it was bad,but it really wasn't apparent until the next day when so many millions were without power. WE feel so bad for everyone impacted because we know how very hot it is right now. WE purr for a quick restoration of your power.
purrs
>^,,^<
♥Abby♥Boo♥Ping♥Jinx♥Grace♥
Oui Oui, I have been thru a durecho a few years ago (aside from all out=r tornadoes) and they are VERY frightening. Mom was lying in bed (she had Admiral then) and the sound of the wind woke her which was something because she sleeps with loud white sound in the room. Habit of working 12 hr swing shifts for all thoser years. So she woke to no power, the wind was frightening and had already blown some of the mighty trees around here onto houses cutting houses in two.
Mom stayed awake from 3 am onward praying our pwn trees (at least 90 ft tall) would not come down and kill us. So I know the fear and the aftermath.
Blessings. I had NO idea that is where you live. xoxoxo
we had never heard of derecho either until Sammy from One Spoiled Cat blogged about it.
Very scary indeed! Praying they get your air back (so that all of you will be nice and cool and comfortable)
I know that Ingrid King is also in that area and suffered the same effects from the storm. Praying for all of you!!
We heard about this derecho and how scary it is! We're just glad you all are safe and okay. We hope your power comes back soon.
Whoa! I'm glad you guys are safe - that storm sounds like it was scary.
My human has always wanted to name a male cat "Derecho." I say she is asking for trouble!
That sounded really scary. We're so glad you are all safe and sound, albeit without electricity.
We hope your electricity supply is restored really soon.
Glad to hear that you all are OK !
Hope your power is going to be back real soon !
Send a lot of purrs over your way <3
We are glad you are all basically OK. We had those winds but were lucky for no power outages. Our cables are unnerground here (thank Ceiling Cat).
I'm glad to hear that you're safe. I hope things get back to normal for you soon.
Oh you poor poor darlings!!! We just absolutely hate the hots, be we can't imagine them without ICE or really cold water. Me and the Human will purr and purray for you guys! We didn't know where you lived, but suddenly realized we hadn't seen you in a few days.
I am glad you came safely through the storm and I really really hope you get your power back very soon!
XOXOXO
Hai my new furriends! I so sorry to hear you has been in the area with no powers and so hot weathers too! We hope you be getting power back furry soon. Momma and I worked on your package today, the scratcher had been sent out before hand so that might gets there sooner but we not sure know with the power issues. Maybe dem delivery peeps has generators? Whatever those are, momma says they gives power. Purrrrrs
Happy Independence Day! I sure hope things are getting better. It sounds very, very scary. I've never heard of a derecho before -- but now I'll certainly remember -- as will you, I'm sure.
Power to the people -- and the kitties, too, of course!
Happy Independence Day! I sure hope things are getting better. It sounds very, very scary. I've never heard of a derecho before -- but now I'll certainly remember -- as will you, I'm sure.
Power to the people -- and the kitties, too, of course!
Just checking in to see how you're doing. We'll email you, too.
Hugs.
I am sorry about ur storms and the power stuff. I hope u is all better soon. :) Thank u. {{{hug}}}
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