I’m sure you’ve heard about the Ice storm in the Midwest that has left thousands without power. That was 6 days ago
About 40,000 customers were without power in Decatur (population aprox. 77,836)
I live over 200 miles from my mother. What could I do? I called the power company (like thousands of others). I called in to make sure she was doing ok. And finally on day 3 I call someone nearby who had power so she could take a shower.
Day 5 I rent a car, bought her a generator and headed down to bean town.
I left work mid day. One of my bosses went to Home Depot with me to help me load up the generator offering “If need be I can come with you” I assured him I could find someone to help me on the other end and with his warning of who to trust “These things are like gold down there” I left.
It was dark by the time I got close. You know the bubble of ambient light you can see across fields and prairies that alerts you to a city’s presence? I know its pollution, but it can be so welcoming if you’ve been driving for hours, just to see that light glow and know your journey is almost done. Much like I imagine the herders and cowboys were drawn to another’s fire through the dark. I look for the tell-tail signs of a town in the darkness off the interstate and cannot find it.
I see flashes from the car ahead of me against the crystallized trees and let out an expletive. I had no idea it was this bad. My mother had said trees were down, ice, blah, blah, but that isn’t the first time for that. Darkness up to the edge of town, and still dark as I drive in.
The traffic lights on the interstate through the town are out making each intersection a hazard and giving me plenty of time to survey the damage. Trees and power lines on houses, streets, fences, yards. Wal-Mart and Menards have power but that’s about it. I wonder if that’s why there are no generators for several counties. If they sell their generators, then they can’t sell everything else.
I had called the nearby hardware and home improvement stores before resolving to buy one and drive it down. One by one each told me no generators and few heating devices (not too surprising when ½ the city was out of power). Finally one did say they were getting a shipment (delivery unknown) but only one model. I asked why they were going to stock one of the top end of a line when the same manufacturer made smaller more inexpensive ones that would work just as well (I had been doing my research and comparison). The opportunist couldn’t answer me.
Anyway got there, hooked it up that night. Got up at 5:00 the next morning to get in the Kerosene line. 10 gal of Kerosene and 15 gallons of gas when I left her house, I could just barely see my breath.
This morning I was woken at 5:30 by a dripping noise. Water was coming into my bathroom from the door jam, the wall by the window, the ceiling light, and the support rod on the shower. Apparently the dumb dumb upstairs doesn’t know how to put her shower curtain into her tub when she showers. She says she’ll come by tonight to talk about it. My boss said that once drywall gets wet it has to be removed, because of mildew and mold.
And it’s Thursday.
