Well, We've Recovered From The Storm Damage

[ProfessorGAC]

I'm finally back.

On thursday last, we had a storm come through my little town. NOAA says it peaked at 92mph winds and 1 inch per hour rains.

The power went out at 2pm Thursday afternoon, and THEN the big one hit. The tornado siren went off just as we were going to eat. (Friends came over so i could teach the son guitar and we would eat spaghetti afterward).

While in our basement, all hell broke loose. Winds roaring, thunder and lightning. Some the thunderclaps came almost the exact same moment as we saw the flash.

Well, we lost 2/3rd's of a hundred year old maple tree. About 45 or 50 long and at the point it broke, it was at least 20 inches in diameter. It fell on the power lines and took them down, but not without pulling down the utility poll, which fell into my driveway, and tore the lines off my house.

The sycamore tree threw branches at the house and broke 5 windows and the wind pulled the gutter loose from the west side of my house.

Because i always assume the lines are live (and it turns out, they were), and because the deluge left about 2" of water in my driveway, i couldn't pull the car out to get to the generator, because if i did, i'd have to get out of the car into that giant puddle.

So, we couldn't hook up the fridge until 27 hours later. We lost about $150 of food!

The linemen showed up at 7pm on Sunday and hooked up the neighborhood, but because those crews just do lines, and don't do individual lines to houses, we had to wait until 10:30am Monday to get power. By then, i had to spend over $80 in gas, and only had one room powered up. (Plus a fridge, 'cuz we had to put food somewhere.)

I spent Tuesday and Wednesday replacing window panes and cutting up the tree with some friends. The city came and removed everything last night, so if you drove by now, you'd never know anything happened.

At least the tree didn't fall on the house. That did happen to 4 houses in town! No houses were totally ruined, though. That's one positive thing.

Nobody hurt, just a stressful and pretty unfun weekend. All the beasties are just fine, as well. Since they never go out, they wouldn't be out in that torrent.

Anyway, i don't know if i'm going to put in a claim. I think the hastle isn't worth the difference between the cost and the deductible. I'll check, but i doubt it.

The one thing i learned: When the tornado siren goes off, TAKE IT SERIOUSLY!
The Professor

[catmandu57]

1. I wasn't aware of your problems

I'm glad to hear you're okay. Where was this? Storms are nothing to sneeze at especially here on the edge of tornado alley, when the sky turns green and the sirens go off it's time to get under cover.