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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 200
U
Member
Up in Cumbria we were smashed to bits and flooded out last night. I woke up at 6.30 this morning to find the power was off. I had been awake on and off all night because of the wind which reached a frightening pitch around 12.30am and continued with 80mph gusts until about 7.30am.

Two trees next to us fell at just after 1.00am, and a barn tin roof took flight at the same time.

The power stayed valliantly available until 5.53am!!

What's more important though, is that we were back on by 4.00pm today - even given the huge tasks in front of UU they have managed to restore power to 70% of those affected.

They have my thanks - and my vote! [Linked Image]


If hindsight were foresight, we'd all be millionaires!
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443
Likes: 3
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John,
That's a good turn-around as far as Over-head Faults go.
And United Utilities did very well to have the supply back on in such a short time.
Only thing that bothers me John, is all the chest-beating that will happen at the next Utilities meeting, by the Management telling others how they got the power back on so quick.
No mention of the guys that were actually out in the weather.
Of course, that guy "managed" it all.
Sorry, John, just my take on things.

Joined: May 2004
Posts: 186
A
Member
John, Good to hear that you came through virtualy unscathed, saw the footage on TV from Carlisle and surrounding areas and immediately thought of you and your family. Its certainly a good response from UU, it looks as though they have a job on their hands Good luck to everyone involved.

Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 1,498
Likes: 1
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Sounds like a very unpleasant night indeed. Good to hear that the trees didn't hit your house. I've never been near 80 mph winds and sure don't want to!

The storm that came from the British Isles and hit the southwestern part of Scandinavia took out all railways and quite a lot of roads and power lines. The Swedish utilites are today trying to get power back to some 400' homes. The people at the other end of the line are busy restarting the nuclear power plants...

Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 200
U
Member
Guys, thanks for your concern and comments.

I have had a stream of calls for Carlisle for work once the city 'reopens'. It has been hit quite badly really.

Unfortunately, as I write this, the weather has again turned nasty. I have a friend with a weather station who phoned earlier to say that his anenometer was reading gusts of 62mph again...and rising. I drove to Kendal tonight to collect some cable and the rain was phenomenal! Couldn't see a damn thing on the A6/M6 over Shap and the roads were simply awash. I gather that the water level in areas of Carlisle is again rising tonight [Linked Image]

Done 3 farms this weekend; overheads and lighting torn down by flying debris and wind mainly. Tomorrow brings a house where a section of the roof/upstairs was badly damaged by a tree falling on it. Owners got back today to find power available but unsafe. Followed by connecting up a sewage treatment plant that is currently still under water...

Great start to the year for some [Linked Image]. Can't even be happy to get the work when you see the bloody mess some people lives are in after all this. Visited a house y'day where all the kids new toys were wrecked and outside for dumping along with half the family stuff. His bedroom was on the downstairs floor because he is severely handicapped. He's only seven. After a look around and an insurance form fill-in I gave him my daughter's Game-boy ( which I happened to have in the car! ), and wept on the way home [Linked Image]

Geez.


If hindsight were foresight, we'd all be millionaires!
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 7,520
P
Member
John,

Sounds as though you've had it pretty rough up there, but full marks to the PoCo for getting things restored as quickly as possible.

Having had a taste of working on phone line repair, I certainly don't envy the power guys who turn out in conditions like this and who are under that much more pressure -- People are generally more worried about getting the juice back on quickly than having their phone back in operation.

Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 200
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Yes Paul, you're right on both counts!

People get pretty narked about having no power. I listened to one old geezer in the filling-station this afternoon; he was complaining that he had no power still and it was "outrageous...we pay our taxes...live in an area where power should never go off...blah, blah".

I got annoyed ( I'm afraid ) and gave him a piece of my mind - asking if he'd fancy swinging off a pole in this weather ( it's still v. wet and windy ) trying to hook up power in some godforsaken out-of-the-way location just so some ingrate can watch Coronation Street.

I wasn't proud of myself - but it really p****s me off when some of us work round the clock in all conditions and listen to this tripe [Linked Image]

Ok - rant over. [Linked Image]


If hindsight were foresight, we'd all be millionaires!
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A justified rant, UKsparky. We couldn't build a society designed to cope with all potential disasters even if we tried. What would power cost if it didn't go out when you're hit by a hurricane?

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Hey John,
From what you've just said, my little rant is made a micro-rant.
Hope that everything is Ok up there, I have the greatest sympathy for anyone that is caught in nasty weather patterns.
We are having floods here too, not actually here in the South Island, but in the southern tip of the North Island of New Zealand.
It's a waste of time having seasons here, it seems like winter all year round.

Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 50
S
Member
Just watched the latest forecast for tonight.
Makes for grim viewing. [Linked Image]

100mph winds and torrential rain followed by snow. [Linked Image]

We have no roof tiles just now as the council has decided to retile the roof despite the weather reports. [Linked Image]

I'm getting the genny set up just in case.

The winds are picking up just now 1100HRS and I start work delivering Chinese meals in an area very prone to flooding and fallen trees at 1700HRS and finish at about midnight OHHHH BOY!!!! (Thank god I have a Chevy Blazer 6.2 diesel 4X4) [Linked Image]

I really feel for the poor souls that have to rebuild their lives when there is worse weather heading this way.

Simon.

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