It began in the afternoon on Thursday. We all went home from school. Then, around 8:00 pm the power went out. We took out our heaviest down blanket and burrowed in for the night. But sleep was not easy. Every few minutes we heard a tree snap and break and fall to the ground. The ice made it especially noisy, and it sounded like a war was going on around us. Joe was worried about a tree coming in through the roof. I'm happy to say that didn't happen.
We had a transistor radio which came in real handy in the morning for me. I wake up at 5 and it's pitch-black out. So I found a local station and listened till I could find out my school was closed.
When daylight came, we could see just how bad it was, so we decided to try to leave. Trees were down everywhere and we saw a neighbor from the other side of the neighborhood seeming to be looking for an exit in his truck. Not a good sign.
Joe ventured out and found an escape route out of the immediate area. Good enough to decide to risk it and try to leave. En route out of the neighborhood, we saw a neighbor who is a part time police officer in town. He said he heard it may be weeks before we get the power back in our area.
This was the road we took to get out of our neighborhood. The other one was impassable.
These pics are the main road that gets you near the highway. We were in a little caravan of large vehicles. Luckily, Joe has a 4-wheel drive truck. Between the truck and a whole lot of desperation we made it through 15 miles of this to a safer place.
Once we got to the highway we were free and made it to the first open gas station, filled up, and continued south.
So we are staying with some very generous friends about one and 3/4 hours from our home. They have an efficiency apartment above their garage. I am so grateful and feel so fortunate to have this to escape to.
I'm spending time wondering how long it will be before my school has power and I'll either also have power at home, or I'll have to drive 2 hours to work. Only time will tell!
7 comments:
Oh my! Meryl when I heard about the ice storm on my local news, I was wondering if you would be affected. I remember the ice storm we had here. I was just a teenagers but I will always remember it. I hope you are back home all warm and cozy soon. In my thoughts. Lisa
Oh wow! That looks really scary. Glad you guys are OK and have somewhere to stay for a bit. Take care!
Thank you so much for your good wishes.
Joe is in route from our home on a mission to turn off our water and get a few things. He went to the police station and they are still saying it could, at worst, be 2 weeks till we get power. :(
He said that none of the trees in the road have been cut down since yesterday. But two towns over, where they weren't as wooded to begin with and they have a much bigger population, they have power.
I have a few friends in this situation. You are so lucky to have a place to go! I appreciate the pictures. If it weren't so unfortunate, they would be cool.
Meryl, God bless you and Joe. I heard it was horrible. Please keep yourself safe and know that you will be in my thoughts and prayers.
Oh my gosh, Meryl--just catching up. I hope you can get back home soon! Thank goodness you have a place to stay! We were so lucky and didn't lose power--it blinked a couple times, but that was it.
I was just reading today that some schools say they may be closed for weeks!
We saw a truck on the highway this past weekend, and on the back window, they'd written "Ice Storm 2008 Nomads."
Well, it's been almost a week now, and still no power. School is closed in the both the district where I live and the district where I teach until January 5. I do miss home, though.
This will be the first time in years that I don't make Christmas cookies for friends and family.
When we get back home, I'm planning on making my first fruitcake.
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