Posted on by agilejack

Finally Home and Warm — 82 Hours Without Power

I had visions of hunkering down at home on our stormy weekend and sewing and cooking. That plan was shuttled when our winter storm caused my power to go out around 9 am on Saturday. At 11 am two trees came down across the street amid frightening wind gusts… one landing on my neighbor’s house and the other resting on the power lines.

Lucky for my neighbor, the one on the house is on the garage and not living space.

I’m so lucky to have a friend one street over who never lost power and invited me over when my power hadn’t come back on by Saturday afternoon and the temp in my house was dropping fast. The temps all weekend, and still as I type, have been well below freezing. Not a great time to be without power.

So I bundled up the dogs and some supplies and headed over. I was so worried that my dogs would be badly behaved, but they were soooo good. They loved hanging out with my friend’s 11 month old corgi puppy. She kept them active. That and my twice daily walks to check out what was happening in my very quiet and cold neighborhood wore them out!

Long story short, it’s now Tuesday night at about 10 pm and I’ve only been home for a couple hours. 82 hours without power! And all in well below freezing temps.

It’s been a very stressful weekend. There is so much damage all around the Portland area from downed trees. Four days later, over 30,000 homes are still without power. There were over 150,000 homes without power at the worst of it. I’m sure some people will wait for days to get their power back.

So, needless to say, I didn’t get any of my cooking done this weekend. In fact, I had to toss out the chicken I planned to cook. And I didn’t get any sewing done at all. It was so frustrating to have all that time on my hands and not be able to be productive — and have something to occupy my anxious mind.

You can find lots of pictures and videos of the aftermath of our terrible weather event on the internet. But here are a few from my immediate neighborhood.

This one shows a street a block away from me that was completely blocked by some big trees.

Someone had chainsawed a path through the trees by the time I walked by.

This is another street where a row of trees came down and took out about 80 feet of power lines.

The tree company cleared these trees out yesterday and the power company was working on this street this morning. This is a street that dead ends into the park near me so these people were completely stuck for days! A UPS driver even got stuck there while making deliveries!

As I was walking my boys yesterday afternoon I saw the Asplundh truck (tree removal experts) heading up the road. It’s a wonderful site when there are trees down all over the place!

I stopped and watched as they turned onto my road. After three days it was so good so see some help arrive!

As I got further into my walk I took a loop past my house and saw that there were several power company vehicles on the street. So I walked up there and said to all the power workers, “I don’t know you very well, but I love you!” They all laughed.

I asked them if they were going to be able to restore my power soon and they said they were having a conference about it. They asked me how long I had been without power. It was three days by that time.

Long story short… the answer was, apparently, no. They went down the street and worked on some other issues while the tree was removed. There were a lot of people still needing their help.

It didn’t take long for them to have that tree removed from the power line. But I would have to wait to see the restoration of my power.

My friend’s husband and I took a drive around the neighborhood last night to see how it was looking. It was nice to see more and more streets and neighborhoods with power. But there were still lots of very dark neighborhoods near us.

My friends’ house where I stayed all weekend is on the street next to me… basically right behind the house with the tree resting on the roof. As we were doing dinner dishes tonight my friend noticed that there were lights on my street! So she told me to hightail it over to my house to check to see if I had power.

We have another storm tonight… this one featuring freezing rain! When I got outside I saw that my car was completely covered with ice. It would have taken 20 minutes to clear the windshield. So I walked gingerly to my house.

You can see the sheen of ice all over my front sidewalk and on the snow. I had even put ice melt on this sidewalk this afternoon! So slick!

It was so wonderful to see the lights on when I got home!!!

And when I got inside the temperature was already up to 50 degrees! It was 35 degrees when I was here earlier today.

I walked back to my friend’s house and packed up my boys and all my stuff. My friend’s husband cleared the ice off my car, and I was on my way.

Luckily, our freezing rain storm that was predicted for tonight has fizzled a little in my area. There is a solid sheet of ice everywhere, but predicted winds haven’t materialized. I was not looking forward to more trees coming down! Other areas in Portland are seeing a little more wind tonight.

I’ve been pretty worried about my pipes freezing. The high temps since Saturday have been in the low 20s. I did leave all my faucets running the entire time I was gone and checked every day to make sure they were still running. I’m pretty relieved that my pipes are all intact and flowing tonight.

The temps will start to go up tomorrow and melt all the ice. Then it will be up in the 50s before the weekend is over. It’s going to be really wonderful to hear the rain on the roof!

Tonight I’m so incredibly appreciative of friends who generously welcomed me into their home and took excellent care of me and my boys. I’m so very lucky and blessed.

69 Replies to “Finally Home and Warm — 82 Hours Without Power”

    1. I’m so sorry to hear your storm news. We’ve had a terrible January so far ..like yours… extreme weather. Floods for weeks and now a big freeze and snow. My county has missed the snow thank goodness. I feel for you with your power going off ..friends and neighbours re wonderful in a crisis. Mine went off 3 days last year because the condensation pipes froze and split. 3 duvets ..two hot water bottles, a little warm dachshund over my lap kept me going till the condensation pipe was mended. Keep warm keep safe…

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      1. Up until this storm, we have been having a very mild winter. I’m hoping this is the only wintery storm we have this year. I don’t know if I can do another one!

        The dog on the lap is a huge help!!!

        Anne

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  2. Those are some scary pictures and so glad to hear you have wonderful friends. Be careful with the ice around and stay safe. Ice is quite dangerous. Glad to hear you are back home and the pipes did not freeze.

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  4. I’m glad to hear that you are safe and have such good friends to help you out. People really come together in times like this. I hope that Portland gets cleaned up quickly, with power restored to everyone.

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    1. The friend I stayed with was checking on neighbors all over the place…. making sure they were ok and didn’t need help. they are good neighbors.

      We had another storm tonight that caused more power outages. Before this storm, we only had about 4,000 customers without power. Not it’s back up over 30,000. This was a smaller event so I’m hopeful those folks will have power much more quickly this time,

      Anne

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  5. Storms often bring unpredictable results. I am so sorry to hear you were without power. We have a lot of hurricanes on the east coast of Canada so I understand your challenges. Thank god the downed trees did not affect your house. You will be hearing the hum of the chain saw for days while the cleanup is in progress. I am glad you are safe and warm.

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    1. I’m so lucky that I didn’t have damage of any kind to my house. Phew!

      A lot of the fixes to get power back up are temporary. So there will be a lot of work to be done to get us back to normal.

      Anne

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  6. Glad u got power! It’s -14* here in Canada & our furnace died….16 hr with no heat, Installers coming today…will be another 8 hrs. .ove your quilts.

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  8. So happy you and your pups found warmth at a friend’s. Here in NH and in MA the seacoast areas were hit really bad with so many losing more than just power and for once we kept ours, but it is aggravating in 2024 to go without power.

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    1. I have a friend who lives in NH. So I’ve been aware of what’s going on their. He has a cottage on the shore where all the damage happened. he was so lucky that his house was not damaged, but the land around it will need a lot of work, and the road beyond it is basically gone. I know him through work and we have a zoom call once a month to keep in touch. that monthly call is happening tomorrow and I’m really looking forward to it.

      Doesn’t it seem odd that we are so vulnerable to a fragile infrastructure?

      Anne

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      1. They, those who make zoing choices and give out building permits never should have allowed homes to be built on dunes a very bad thing for the eco system for sure it’s like building on cliffs then the mudslide sweeps them away. 😦

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  9. Your anxiety is palpable in your post. I’m glad you and the pups are safe; thank heavens for good neighbors (and for being the good neighbor who is taken in)!

    Fingers crossed for safety tonight!

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  11. Glad to hear that the house was still standing after seeing all those trees down everywhere. Bummer to not be able to sew and cook and do all your fun things while hunkered down though… but thank goodness for generous friends!

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  13. Oh my goodness Anne, you have had a time of it. I have been moaning about a scattering of snow and freezing temps but at least I had power! So glad you had a friend to go and stay with. Stay safe, keep warm x

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  14. Soooo glad you have generous friends nearby and your power back on! We’re at 10 degrees this morning in Northeast Texas but some melting ice expected for this afternoon and then freezing 🥶 temperatures again. Much rather have this than our summer heat! Hugs to the boys 🤗🥰

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    1. I weather cooler temps better than I do warmer temps. But this is just a little too extreme. it’s a hard decision for me if I’d rather have 100 degrees or 35 degrees. If I have a nice warm house with all the electricity I need, I might take the cooler temps. But without electricity, might go for 100!!! But our heat doesn’t come with humidity!

      Anne

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  15. Glad you are safe and had an alternative of where to stay. I saw the news regarding the weather impact knowing you are in that area. To me me ice is worse than snow.
    Funny, I live in SE North Carolina and we are experiencing a cold snap, high today of 39 and people are complaining.

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    1. Ice storms are really scary. And ours usually come with wind. With all the huge trees we have, it’s just a really bad combination. So many houses have been damaged or nearly destroyed by trees over the last week.

      39 sounds warm to me!!! I’m so glad our temps will be rising!

      Anne

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  17. So glad you are safe and warm again … downed power lines and ice are horrible. It’s cold here in VA but at least we have power. We’ve had some snow, but a few inches. And … I’ve been moaning about no internet for a few days! I’m still doing chores after being out of my home for 5 weeks, putting away stuff I accumulated while at cardiac and Covid rehab, Christmas stuff etc. I still have limited energy, so it’s slow going. I tell myself “one day at a time”, and “this too shall pass”. My excitement for today is new hearing aids! It’s good to be back home AND my Bernina is back from servicing, so I’m a happy girl! Can’t wait to see what your next project is!

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    1. I am just going into having heart surgery next week. It is a valve replacement and I think that all will go just fine.
      So glad your went well and you are back home.

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    2. things are really looking up for you! It’s so good to hear you’re back home. That means you’re doing so much better! Take it easy and enjoy being at home!

      Next project(s) will be finishing up some stuff that’s bee sitting too long. Not terribly exciting but it feels good to get that stuff done.

      Anne

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    1. These storms here can be really scary. The trees are so big… and there’s just nothing you can do about any of it. I’ll be glad to see the end of this winter spell!

      Anne

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  20. So happpy to hear from you, that you are safe.
    I understand as in Central Texas we had the grid fail and the ice storm and we were with out power for 5 days. One small generator outsice to run a small heater in the house. House down to 40. With all the ice we could not drive anywhere as the roads were impossible. That was in 21. Then in 23 we got hit by a tornado and again the power was out for 5 days. Houses here on the farm were OK but not the barn and other buildings. We lost so many trees and a few animals.
    Our power stayed on this very cold spell this year.

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    1. Storms can be really scary. It’s hard to wait so long to get power, but there were so many outages here… it’s amazing that the power company got it all cleared up as quickly as they did.

      Hoping you don’t have any more storm related events!

      Anne

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  21. sharing great soup recipe from facebook

    for when you are back up and ready to cook

    My Caldo de res. (new mexico recipes Jen Schoenhol)

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/681279218640809/permalink/6422623887839618/

    6 ears of corn or more broken in half

    8 potato’s peeled and cut into chunks

    2 yellow onions

    1 whole cabbage

    6 cloves of garlic

    8 carrots cut in chunks or how ever you like

    1 bunch of cilantro

    2 cups celery diced

    2 tablespoons adobo seasoning

    1 tablespoon salt

    1 tablespoons cumin

    1 tablespoon pepper

    1 cu diced tomatoes if you like

    Green chile is optional to your liking

    I use beef consume and a beef broth. Use as much as you like approximately 16 ounces and 1 cup water.

    1 beef roast or what ever protein you like. I didn’t have one with the bone. The beef bone is very delicious when cooked into your Caldo . The marrow is delicious.

    Cook your beef with your onion, salt ,pepper,adobo,cumin and garlic. I usually cook it overnight on my slow cooker on low. I like the beef to fall apart when it’s done. I cook my carrots in with the beef. I add the potato’s about half way through.

    I add everything else the last hr of cooking . The cabbage cooks quickly so do that last.

    You also add zucchini but I didn’t have any

    Saturday : Wow thanks for all the interest in this recipe. It’s a very versatile Caldo if you don’t have something for it just use what you have. A good warm Caldo is always good. If you make it post your pic .

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  22. It’s amazing that you had been without power for so long! I can’t imagine what I would do. We were without power 10 days ago for just 13 hours. And had to go and sit in our car to warm up for awhile. The best laid plans, sewing , cooking, etc. are no match for Mother Nature. Glad to hear things are getting back to normal!

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    1. It was so good to get home. Power went out again tonight with ice and wind. Luckily it came back on in just an hour. But I freaked out a little with the prospect of an extended outage. Phew!

      Anne

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  24. Anne,
    Oh dear. So happy you and the boys are back home and safe. Those neighbors deserve a quilt! Here in Minnesota it’s very cold but nothing like you’ve experienced. Warm thoughts.
    Kate

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  26. Wow, you really had a bad time. So glad to hear you’re house is okay!!! And you were blessed with excellent neighbors for both you and the boys. Kudos to them… they probably need a special project!

    It’s the no power times that we need good hand sewing projects, like needlepoint or EPP, something to occupy the mind and hands.

    Stay safe and warm!

    Blessings

    PJ Kytlica 805-660-4400

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    1. I’ve already ordered a little gift for them to thank them for their hospitality. I think they will like it!

      I was sort of wishing for some hand projects, but my hands just can’t take it. My right hand has been bothering me since I hand sewed the bindings an a quilt and table runner for the holidays. I had to stop knitting because of my hands. I miss it.

      Anne

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      1. No bueno on the hands! I’ve got some crappy arthritis that flares in my thumbs and stops things. I feel for you.

        Stay warm!

        PJ Kytlica 805-660-4400

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    1. thanks! it was a stressful few days and I was so glad to have friends to make it so much easier! and the fact they not only welcomed me, but my dogs… that’s pretty amazing! I’m very lucky.

      Anne

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  28. What an adventure! So glad you’re okay.
    I grew up in NE Portland and I remember the ice storms. Especially ice coating all the trees. My mom called it a “Silver Thaw” but I have not clue where that name came from.

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  29. I am just reading this now—on the evening of the 17th! I am so glad you have power again. During Hurricane Sandy, back in 2012 was it? We were out of power for six days. It was very trying, anxiety producing, and just plain uncomfortable, so I can sympathize on all counts. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen again. Ever. Here in PA it is frigid frigid frigid, with a “feels like” temperature of 9*. No respite in sight until next Wednesday. Fingers crossed that none of us loses power, all of us stay warm, and we all get some sewing time.

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    1. those days without power and our continuing weather have been really stressful. I’m pretty exhausted. We had more freezing rain and wind tonight with power outages again.

      Oh wow… that’s cold. Stay warm and be careful!

      Anne

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  30. Glad you and your boys made it through the storm. Sounds very concerning. Keep safe- and warm. We’re about to hit a cold spell too but I think we’ll be fine.
    Back to sewing group today, very happy!

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    1. This storm has held on far too long. More power outages around the city again tonight along with more freezing rain. My power went out, but it came on an hour later. Phew!

      Stay warm!

      Anne

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  31. I’m so glad you’re okay, & have power again!

    We had an ice storm in western Massachusetts a few years ago & were without power for a week too!

    We didn’t have anywhere to go, & I wasn’t leaving my birds anyway, so I forced my poor husband to heat rocks on the grill, to put in the bottoms of their cages. We shared heat with the cats & dogs 😄

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