What is the longest you've ever been without

[Maine Mary]

electricity? Ha, made you look... :evilgrin: Oh and how often do you lose power?

Here in the boonies it goes out about 2 or 3 times a month especially in the winter. Sometimes it's just enought to make me have to go around fixing the digital clocks, often an hour or two and occaisionally overnight. But the longest I went was 3 weeks following Hurricane Bob in 91. That really sucked because our well water ran off an electric pump.

During the Ice Storm of Jan 98 we were one of the lucky ones; going without power for only 3 days. (We had moved across town by then and lived by a school) but others throughout the affected areas weren't so lucky. Some went for a couple of weeks.

It's not too bad when we lose power here though. Even during the freezing cold days following the Ice Storm (some well below zero) we were plenty warm (woodstove) had hot water (gas water heater and town water) and could still cook (gas burners and oven) Didn't miss anything but the puter, tv and lights. Even our food was fine as we just kept the freezer stuff in the breezeway.

I guess I ask this question because it had never occured to me what a big deal it is for city folk to lose power until after the blackout and Isabel. I had never really thought of it before but for all that news coverage, I now wonder if we lose our power alot more around here? :shrug:

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. At least once a year

due to ice storms or ice from snow storms. The power is off for at least a week. I don't count the five/ten minute 'glitches' that happen periodically at least two or three times a month. But at least it is an electrical cooperative that generates hydroelectric power.

Our rememdies: first of all, we heat with wood during the winter, and have propane for stove and hot water heater. We always have flashlights and candles on hand-we live in the middle of the woods, with no exterior lighting. We have a battery operated radio, a portable generator, and inverters. The generator/inverter combo keeps our major appliances working enough so that we don't lose food from the freezer/refrigerator. We hope to eventually have enough money to go solar/wind power and get off the grid.

[supernova]

2. Often enough

to make me consider getting a backup generator. Like you MM, I live out in the sticks.... except it's the sticks of NC. :D

During the horrendous ice storm last December, my electricity was out for 6 days. Most people were very upset at the utilities' seeming laggardly ways. They did seem disorganized.

I usually go stay with my family in Raleigh. They always get the electricity turned on sooner than I do. I was out for 2 days b/c of Isabel. Much better situation than the ice storm.

But it does make me wonder about a generator. I'm surprised you don't have one, MM.

[Maine Mary]

3. Don't need it (a generator)

Woodstove is fine for heat, gas hot water heater keeps the water warm, propane lanterns as well as candles provide enough light and gas range works fine for cooking. I can live w/out the puter and tv ok. And since most of the long outages seem to happen in the winter I usually just put my freezer food outside (away from critters of course) :-)

[amazona]

4. i was out a bit over a week after Tropical Storm Bill

It brought down some lines in the process of bringing a huge oak tree down on my house but we have pretty fast repair times around here. I lost power less than 48 hours for Andrew. Our power goes out often -- as often as once a week -- but it doesn't stay out. Most outages are a few moments with half an hour outages being an annoyance but not much more than that.

[SOteric]

5. I used to live out in the toolies

on an island. We were without power quite often actually. For almost a month at one stretch. No generator, but plenty of good old fashioned methods for dealing with it all.

[patdem]

6. Went out Thursday at 4:00PM....just got it back.,..the longest ever

without electricity!!!

My last function...at the time of my outage was to post to the DU lounge...but it NEVER happened!!

[The Lone Liberal]

7. I have been without electricity for 48 hours. I can assure you that...

...it has been much longer for what you wanted me to think you were talking about. :hippie:

[mlawson]

8. We have a third world power grid here.

I don't know why, but we do. The lights go out here, if the wind blows hard enough, or if we have more than 4 inches of snow. Sucks totally; I live in a townhouse and we aren't allowed to have kerosene heaters.