Art happened to be looking out the window when suddenly... he saw all the lights on this side of the island go out! NOT again!
However! This time we were more ready than the last time. Art put a Red Cross radio on his Christmas wish list and we had batteries for our flashlights. The radio was fantastic because we knew right away what had happened. Apparently the lightning bolts knocked out transmission lines from the Kahe and Waiau power stations and one of the safety features on the island shut off all island power except in a couple of pockets on the Leeward side. They said that because we ARE an ISLAND... sigh... we are not able to borrow electricity from another state. Therefore they said that since power could not be restored all at once it would be "A WHILE" before we would have power again. They refused to be pinned down to an exact time. "A WHILE," they repeated several times more. They did later say it could be up to twelve hours.
Happily, we noticed that our area got power back around 1:30 AM. My mother says she thinks it's because the Mayor lives in this area. I don't know if that's true. Whatever the case we happily woke up this morning to see lights on as far as we could see. I understand that other areas are still waiting and they were warning people to throw out meats and poultry from the refrigerators to be safe if it was at room temperature for more than two hours. "If in doubt, throw it out!"
And what??? No morning newspaper to read with my husband's coffee. I can't remember that ever happening before. Wow! For Art... now that's a catastrophe!
P.S. I'd like to reassure everyone that President-Elect Obama was perfectly safe in Kailua. His security people had generators and they were rushing power out to where he was staying.
I've been thinking of you this morning here in Maine, since hearing of the power outage on Oahu. I'm glad to hear the power is back on now.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking of you, too! When I heard the news! Glad you guys are okay! Art not having a paper reminded me of last week when we didn't even get a mail delivery! Didn't they use to tell us that was impossible??? It's still a mess here, but the snow is melting!Take care! Hope all gets better soon!
ReplyDeleteChuckling to myself about the Mayor and Obama! Ain't that just typical Kay?! Glad to hear you have the power back on now.
ReplyDeletegood that you were prepared...we all need to be, we are so dependent on electricity everywhere.
ReplyDeletehaha! I wrote about the power outage, too! Welcome to Oahu.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad the power came on quickly -- we had a huge outage here last summer when the tail end of Hugo "breezed" through and I had to empty my fridge. We were luckier than some people because we we only out about 28 hours. Others were out for days!
ReplyDeleteDid you go into withdrawal from your computer? LOL I did!!!
Hi Kay! I'm glad the lights are back on. I could do without the morning paper. But do without COFFEE? I'd be in the kitchen figuring something out.
ReplyDeleteI hope you and your family had a Merry Christmas. Lisa
Yup! I blogged about it from Waikiki too! It's an island after all. . . .
ReplyDeleteKay, I'm glad your power wasn't out too long.
ReplyDeleteIt must have been gratifying for Art to get to use his emergency radio so soon after receiving it. LOL
ReplyDeleteYour Christmas looked yummy and fun. I have one of those scales I think. I had better get on it and see where I stand..LOL... We have power outages and are going to get a generator that ties into the gas line because as you know, the winters are cold..but not where you are...Michelle..
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you were better prepared this time. Doesn't a power cut make you realise just how dependent we are on electricity these days. It's always a bit of an adventure though.
ReplyDeleteLike Jean, I caught a bit on the news about it. We have them here so often, and always at inconvenient times, that we bought a generator after sitting 8.5 days in the cold in 1998 after the ice storm. Haven't had another like that, but since we own & live in an apartment building in downtown nowhere, we run the generator (if power stays off 2 or more hours) for essentials like heat in winter & fridges etc year around. We have individual LP heaters in each unit, but they shut off when power goes off as a safety measure.
ReplyDeleteBet Art enjoyed the radio 'test run'. Now if I could figure out how to awaken to Hawaiian weather without moving from Maine, a little break from winter around February would be grand. Give the Old Indian Fella a chance to thaw his creaky bones a bit;)
I'm glad you were prepared ... and that all is well now.
ReplyDeleteHugs and blessings,
What an adventure! I'm glad you had the radio and batteries and that everything turned out ok.
ReplyDeleteI sympathise with the island living--we live on the opposite side of our island from the capital city, so we lose power and phone lines rather often, and when it happens we're the last ones to be turned back on. ARGH.
I hope the weather gets better and stays good for you soon!
Happy new year
ReplyDeleteHope you had a wonderful holiday with your family. I wish you and yours a very Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear the good news...power outages (even short ones) are not a nice experience. Don't you just love that emergency radio?!
ReplyDeleteBeing without power is an adventure for about ten hours... then I want to play on my computer, watch a Law and Order re-run or a little CNN and Fox... do my laundry, take a hot shower, store foods in my fridge and not have to stick them in the snowy and cold side yard.
ReplyDeleteSpoiled?? You betcha! And worried about it.
I have to tell you though... that I think power outages would be a little easier to deal with on your island paradise. Maybe not. I can keep meats and juices a lot colder for a longer period of time here than you can there...
I guess it's a trade off. But, you know the old adage about the grass being greener.