Wind!

[fifth_column]

We lost power for a few hours this morning, along with many thousands of other people in the area. A tree in our yard was also brought down. It was a tree I've been wanting to take down for years. I hadn't because it was tall enough that I'd have to top it, which I wasn't willing (or felt able) to do. The wind broke it at just the right height to avoid hitting the road or any buildings. Then, apparently, someone complained about it and the town sent someone out to take it the rest of the way down. So everything was taken care of with zero effort on my part. I'm hoping someone complains that our house has to be painted so the town can send someone out to do that too.   

[Larry Ashcraft]

We're in Pueblo CO, about 100 miles south of 230RN.

We had sustained winds of over 50 MPH all day, with a high recorded gust of 89 MPH at the airport, which is about 3 miles northwest of us.  We had one small cottonwood blow down about 250 yards north of the house. It's across the neighbor's fence, but shouldn't take more than an hour to clean up and repair the fence.  Probably lost a few trees on the river bottom too, but all they can damage down there are fences.  (the 2002-03 drought killed multiple cottonwoods, and a one or two blow down every time we get wind.)

Lots of "sleeping" semis lined I-25 yesterday, and one person videoed one standing on the side of the road just as it went over.  Lots of trees and power poles blown down in town, but we haven't gone anywhere to see them.

Our power never went out, but it also stayed on during the 1997 blizzard, which was worse than this.

[Ben]

Our power never went out, but it also stayed on during the 1997 blizzard, which was worse than this.

I've been pretty impressed with the power company here. I've only had it go out once during a wind event and Idaho Power had it back on within a couple of hours. Plus it was at night so I only knew about it because their text message telling me the power was out woke me up. 

There must be some standard for power infrastructure in places prone to wind. I dealt with a lot less wind in CA and had power go out all the time if something over 30mph kicked up.

[Jim147]

Passing through town today I saw my late friends welding shop had lost the whole east wall. A very large brick building that the currant owner was in the middle of a roof replacement. With no roof to hold it together and no rear door the wind just built up inside until it found a way out.

[Doggy Daddy]

There must be some standard for power infrastructure in places prone to wind. I dealt with a lot less wind in CA and had power go out all the time if something over 30mph kicked up.

As the use of electric cars increases, imagine the load on the infrastructure when everyone "tops off" their "tank" at the same time when there's a storm warning.

[charby]

National Weather Service has confirmed 19 tornadoes in north central Iowa and south central Minnesota. EF0 and EF1 in terms of strength.

[Hawkmoon]

There must be some standard for power infrastructure in places prone to wind. I dealt with a lot less wind in CA and had power go out all the time if something over 30mph kicked up.

I'm on the east coast. Not Floriduh, but we get some hurricanes every couple or three years. The standard for power infrastructure is to tell us that their crews are ready and standing by ... and then to wait until half the state is out of power before calling in the troops from other states to fix the downed lines. The two major power companies serving the state have spent beaucoup bucks on tree removal along their lines -- and it seems to have made things worse instead of better.

When I was younger, a power outage was usually repaired within a few hours (unless it was a major disaster). Now? I pretty much figure that any outage will be two to three days, and for a major storm I plan on no power for a week.

[RoadKingLarry]

Us rubes out here hillbilly land have it rough.
In the 26 years I've lived at my house I can count the number of extended, (at least six hours) power outages on one hand the number of multiple day outages on one finger.
In January 2007 we had a major ice storm blow through. We lost power on a Monday morning before 8:00 AM and it was restored midday the following Saturday.