The big ice storm

[Jim_M 179]

I'm sure everybody heard about the big ice storm that hit northern Indiana. We got about 3/4" of ice yesterday. The whole area looks like a combat zone, trees down everywhere. I had a top break out of a big tree and land on the roof, but the only damage I see is some slightly bent drip edge.

There are 121,000 homes and businesses in Fort Wayne without power. I'm one of them, but I have a natural gas powered 15 kw standby generator and heat with wood so we're ok. They say it could be Friday before they get our power back on.

I pity the people that don't have generators, the temperature is going down in the teens tonight and the low for Sunday and Monday night is 0 to -5. There will be a lot of frozen pipes.

The following pictures were taken at my house and my neighbor's houses.

[Butch 194]

It's amazing what ice can do and how heavy it is. Natrural gas generator is

the way to go. Since it's a "standby generator" I assume it kicks in automatically.

Does it also stop you from putting power out on the grid or must you still pop off your main house breaker?

[Jim_M 179]

Butch,

It's all automatic. The power has to be out for 30 seconds before the generator starts itself, then it warms up for 60 seconds and then switches the power from line to generator. When it senses power in the line again it switches back to line, cools the engine off for 90 seconds and shuts itself off.

I live in a pretty heavily wooded area so the generator was a good investment for me. I've had it for about 7 years now. When I first bought it my wife screamed a little, but the first time she was getting ready for work and the power went out she started to appreciate that generator. And believe it or not, last night, 7 years later, she actually said, "I'm glad you bought that generator".

Jim

[Butch 194]

Its nice to have natural gas handy also. No tanks to fill and around here it's much cheaper than propane..........so they say. If we lose power we have no water also.

[Jim_M 179]

I used to have the same problem. I could run some lights and the freezer with my gasoline generator, but not the well.

This generator runs it all, so no more carrying buckets of water from the neighbor's pond to flush the toilet with.

[Jim_M 179]

Day 4 of the power failure and the generator is still running. Now they're saying it could be Friday before we get power.

The last of the neighbors packed up and left yesterday. I know they'll all be coming home to frozen pipes. With no power to run the well pump, you can't let a faucet run and there's nothing you can do.

My internet went down yesterday. I called Comcast and they're not even taking reports, they have a recording that basically says, "yeah, yeah, things are tough all over.

At least I have inrenet access at work!

[jerrell 1]

:hide: Jim that is a mess, makes the little ice storm we had in arkansas look like a fizzel.

[Jim_M 179]

Jim that is a mess, makes the little ice storm we had in arkansas look like a fizzel.

I looked at your weather for this week. Save me a spot down there, I've had enough of Indiana!

[Jim_M 179]

Still running on the generator, they say it will be Friday when we get our power back. They're also saying another ice storm is on it's way.

Are there any members here that are in Florida and want a house guest?

[Coadster32 793]

Wow, that is some storm. Glad to hear you have a generator hooked up. The whole pipe burst thing is I have a generator hokked up to my house also. I use a manual trasfer switch, and gasoline. You have a superior setup. The last time we really needed it was 1985 in a hurricane. Good luck :hide:

[Teddy da Bear 11]

so no more carrying buckets of water from the neighbor's pond to flush the toilet with.

Hope you did no flush any fish!

Seriously...it's hard to see the ice except in that second to last picture.

Yeah.....those folks are going to have problems when they return.

Keep us posted.

[Jim_M 179]

My power came back on at 5:19PM today! I don't know how long it will last, we're having another ice storm and the ice from the last one didn't have a chance to melt.

Oh well, at least I have a chance to check the oil in the generator.

[KyBlue 655]

Keep Our Fingers crossed for ya!!!

[jerrell 1]

:hide: Jim it was 14 degrees this morning, started raining and freezing around 12 and was warming up so we just go rain and cold but the northern part of the state was freezing, saw on tv that it was headed up the same way the last front did. was right over the top of

T=MO's part of M0. and there is another front building up in the panhandel of texas and Oklahoma moving this way , snow sleet and freezing rain..

In all my life i have never seen weather like this, we usually get one big ice storm a year and maybe a sprinkling of snow,

just keep that generator in good repair and hope all of you guys northeast of me stay warm and safe.

[jusjeepn 59]

Spent 5 days in FT Wayne putting people back in power! they let us come home for Christmas and today there are only a few hundred still out. The local crews will be able to handle this and have all restored today! Sleet and ice this morning, 50 deg. and thunderstorms this afternoon here in Marion. Weather is driving those of us who work outdoors crazy but also driving up our paychecks. Bring it on Mother Nature!!!!

[Teddy da Bear 11]

We are having another terrible ice storm here in northern Indiana and southern lower Michigan this morning. Reporting 19,000 homes without power. Sheets of ice on roadway. Police have a code 1 emergency in Elkhart prohibiting any travel that is not an emergency. 100's of accidents in the area and truckers cannot make certain hills on the tollroad causing huge back ups. Police there say do not go out unless you absolutely have to....

I cannot get out as my doors are frozen shut!

p.s. Thunderstorms and near 60 degree temps & fog tomarow with flooding

problems expected. Sunday high of 30! :wtf: