Columbus is in bad shape

[lizziegrace]

I'm sure other parts of the state and other states are too. I just know about Columbus because my daughter was in her apartment 24 hours before they lost power yesterday. AEP's saying 500,000 customers are without power and it could be a week or more until it's restored. They didn't have much rain. It was all wind from Ike. Unfortunately as a college student, she doesn't have a cooler, an oil lamp and candles. Couldn't convince her she'd need them...

Live and learn.

Oh, and we won't be hearing from SallyMander or VenusRising for a while either. They're all in the same boat.

I realize the gulf coast was devastated in a way that doesn't even compare to Ohio. All of you are in my thoughts and prayers. Ike caused so much damage and so much suffering.

Stay safe everyone and help each other. That's what we're all here for...

:hug:

[auntAgonist]

1. I sure hope they get power back soon!

We had an outage on Saturday evening. Only a few hours though.

I hope you're doing well in your new home. I haven't seen any updates on your job hunt situation ... I'm wishing the best for you my friend.

kesha.
:hug:

[lizziegrace]

2. Me too!

Job hunt is moving slowly. Too slowly.

For many reasons, it took everything bit of discipline I had to come back here. I wanted to stay so badly.

[TZ]

3. Sounds like what Isabelle did to us in the East 5 years ago

The midatlantic got rain and flooding but LOTS of wind..and it really did a number on our power structure..It had to be rebuilt..I had no power for 2 days..But for others it was over a week.
Hope they get things fixed quickly.
And I hope everyone on the Gulf Coast is okay

[lizziegrace]

4. I hope Gulf Coast DUers can post soon

I think about them a lot.

:(

[KitchenWitch]

5. I am sending good thoughts to EVERYONE affected.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

6. Don't worry... a huge HUGE convoy of

power trucks is headed that way, headed up 26 from Asheville early this morning

[lizziegrace]

8. Asheville's my favorite part of the country

:) Seriously, I'd like to retire there.

I read on the NBC Columbus webpage that many of the AEP crews sent to help in the Gulf have been called back. 500,000 without power in central OH alone is hard to fathom since they're so far away from the main storm.

I'll remind Lelapin and her friends to bring water and snacks to the crews working in her area and to say "thank you".

:)

[RoyGBiv]

14. If FEMA's not in charge ...

... they might actually get there.

[jobycom]

7. Thanks for the not-so-cheery update. The needs of some are being swallowed

by the obviously more dramatic needs of those in Galveston and Houston, but we should hear more about this nationally.

I hope Obama (or even McCain, if he stumbles into the WH) make internal security a high priority. We need a real FEMA, and not just an afterthought agency in a power-mad, thinly disguised domestic suppression HS Department. We have the resources nationally to handle crises like Katrina and Ike, we just don't seem to have the management with the proper mindset to do it.

[lizziegrace]

9. I couldn't have said it better

:)

:hug:

Lelapin's out trying to find someplace that's open to get a cooler, ice, candles, oil lamps and a battery charger for her cell phone. At least she'll be ready for the next disaster.

Columbus City Schools are out indefinitely as they try to assess damage to the buildings and wait for power to be restored. Unbelievable.

[lizziegrace]

10. Only two open gas stations between Columbus and Cincinnati

on Interstate 71 (from NBC4i.com)

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, there were only two exits along a major interstate that had open gas stations Sunday night and into Monday morning.

The only gas stations on Interstate 71 from Columbus to Cincinnati are at exits 25 and 32 -- which are both near Cincinnati.

Officials said there is an hour-long wait at both stations.

[TZ]

18. TWO gas stations on 71?

Holy cow! And DAMN..there are some long stretches of country hwy out there too...:yoiks:

[lizziegrace]

23. That was what the Ohio Highway Patrol was reporting

Around the city of Columbus, there are a few more. The station has a webpage where people can post where they've found open grocery stores and gas stations.

[Dukkha]

11. FUCK YOU AEP you incompetent worthless assholes!

I am stranded with no power, no water, and no food for the whole fucking week! I can only post because my work is running on backup generators. They do this shit EVERY single year and do absolutely NOTHING to prevent it! It was just a weak wind storm for fuck's sake! NO excuse for this level of incompetence!
:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

[lizziegrace]

13. I hear ya

You've got 20,000 college students in off-campus housing who are totally unprepared for something like this. Many don't have cars. Financial aid hasn't distributed any account excess to the students and they're in the dark with no resources. My daughter's one of them. She hit town with what little money I could put in her checking account. Now she's driving all over trying to find some place open just to find food.

x(

[livetohike]

12. I'm northeast of Pgh about 100 miles - we got hit with high winds

and lost power last night during the Steelers game. We were down for 7 hours and it came back on for about three hours and then down again for four hours :-(. My husband and I have been outside until now chainsawing trees and picking up branches. I've never seen wind like this in PA.

[lizziegrace]

15. Scary, isn't it?

:hug:

Hope your power comes back on soon.

[1gobluedem]

16. We got off pretty easy in Ann Arbor

LOTS of rain but not to the point where anything seriously flooded. The west side of the state and areas near the thumb got much more. We had some wind last night but not the gales they were predicting. A few places around here lost power -- including my gym --but mine never even flickered and I didn't lose cable either.

We also escaped a tornado that touched down about 15 miles east of Ann Arbor. Lucky, lucky.

[LadyoftheRabbits]

17. I'm posting from Panera...

And yeah, it sucks. Everyone and their brother needs ice and batteries. There are no D batteries to be found in this place, so I bought a crap-ton of candles and a lighter.

[1gobluedem]

20. PM me an address

And I will send you some D batteries. Ice might be harder to send....

[lizziegrace]

21. Hey. That's very kind of you

she doesn't have a mailbox key yet.

Anything sent would have to be sent via UPS.

Check your PM.

:hug:

[VenusRising]

19. We just got our power back.

I don't know how long it will last because it's been going in and out,

Just wanted to let you know we're doing fine.

:hi::hug:

[lizziegrace]

22. Good!

She's been all up and down 23 and can't find much more than a few candles at a Bed Bath and Beyond kind of place...

[VenusRising]

24. That doesn't surprise me.

ZI went up to Polaris WalMart to see if he could get ice there. All up and down Polaris was completely out. He took a final chance at the Kroger by our house and they were just bringing in two palettes of ice.

Our best buy ever was our little battery powered lantern.

[lildreamer316]

25. Do you need a care package?

I bet we could all rustle up some candles and batteries down here.
Lemme know...

[VenusRising]

26. Aw, thank you, but we are doing just fine.

We are one of the lucky ones that got our power back today.

I really hope that those that still don't have power have everything they need otherwise.

Thanks, again. :) :hug:

[sasquatch]

27. Tell me about it

I had tickets to Motorhead last night and it was postponed to tonight and now I'm stuck in Dayton. My power is off as well.
x(

[RetroLounge]

28. Pittsburgh got hit by the winds too.

miss pie has been without power for 2 days now...

Hang in there Lelapin...

:hug:

RL