Storm Memories

[DadMulder]

In 2006, here in the Northwest, we had several fast moving cold fronts move through. We worked 40 staight, 8 hrs. rest, 40 again, 10 hrs. rest, 40 again, 12 hrs. when we finally wrapped it up. No Kidding! Anyway, when my storm partner Joe and I came in for the 2nd 40, we picked up a stack of trouble cards from the office. After sorting a couple of cards looking for the ones that had the most people on them, we noticed one that said that it was only one woman out of power but that she was 92 years old. We headed out there first thing. We knocked on the door and no one came to the door. I thought that maybe she was already dead because it was in the 30's most of the time and she had no chimney. Anyway, we restored her power and I went to the front door and pounded on it harder and was able to ring the door bell this time. I was walking back to the truck when Joe pointed at the door, I turned and there looking thru the storm door was this short little Lady that had a nitted bonnet on and a very large fluffy house coat. When she spoke, I noticed a strong British accent. We asked her if she was OK and if we could take her someplace and she said "oh no, I'm just fine, I've been staying in bed and when I get hungry, I open up some canned goods and am doing just fine". We talked for a moment and found out that she was a survivor of the Blist during WW2. What a woman! No wonder a (little) 40 hour storm didn't bother this Wonder Woman.
Dad Mulder
Snohomish County P.U.D. # 1

[oldlineman55]

Your story reminded me of my old man. He was responsible for a rural area back in the early sixties in extreme south Virginia. He got a call one night and the neighbor of a lady said her neighbors lights were out. Well back then my mother was the "Phone Center" and she dropped the call to my old man by poking his ass in the ribs and waking him up.
He fired his non-bucket service truck up and headed to the rural route whatever and when he knocked on the old lady's door she opened it and he asked her " Are you the one with no lights"? She replied, "Yes sir, my lights is out".
Well her lights were one light bulb in her one room shack and what he found was a broke pull cord.
He fixed it and she thanked "The Light Man" as he was called in the area.

[Trbl639]

Yep...during one Ice storm, in the 80's, Mom got a call at the house...some old woman was complaining about being out and her neighbors had elelctricity...and he freezer was thawing out, food ruining......it's was about 20degrees out, so Mom suggested she put her stuff outside somewhere where it might stay cold, or ask her neighbor if she could run a extension cord over to her freezer.........this old woman replied, "mam, I don't think the Winn-Dixie (grocery store) would let me run an extension cord over to my place!!!"

Mom called dad and he sent a Tman over there, and the old woman had lights...she just had fuse blown!!!!!! Old Richard fixed her up and she was jumpin for joy!!!!!

[Trbl639]

Your story reminded me of my old man. He was responsible for a rural area back in the early sixties in extreme south Virginia. He got a call one night and the neighbor of a lady said her neighbors lights were out. Well back then my mother was the "Phone Center" and she dropped the call to my old man by poking his ass in the ribs and waking him up.
He fired his non-bucket service truck up and headed to the rural route whatever and when he knocked on the old lady's door she opened it and he asked her " Are you the one with no lights"? She replied, "Yes sir, my lights is out".
Well her lights were one light bulb in her one room shack and what he found was a broke pull cord.
He fixed it and she thanked "The Light Man" as he was called in the area.

This wasn't storm related, but I got a call one night where an old woman said, that her lights went out when she flushed her commode!!! she lived in run down shack, had a 2 wire service, and was on well water......everytime she flushed, the lights dang near went out.........turns out her well pump was going bad and pulling the voltage down..........I told her I wished I could help her, but told her what she needed to do...... a few days later, I had to go back, to run a new 3 wire servce and tie in a new 3 wire loop, and she said a plumber hadput in a new well pump.........I then gave her over $200 that the guys and I had taken up to help the old woman out...talk about tickled!!!!