ICE STORM SETTLES OVER FAIRHAVEN HARBOR & VAN HALEN COUNTY

Well, the ice storm is now history and the Harbor has electricity again. Last week was a different story as temperatures dropped and the rain turned to freezing rain. Everything in the Harbor was covered with an inch or more of ice. Power poles and trees snapped under the added weight. That second night, it sounded like a battle was raging outside with the shotgun blast echos of branches popping and breaking away. Roadways were covered with ice, trees, and downed power lines. It was a sight to behold. Somewhat reminiscent (though on a smaller colder scale) of the tornado which dropped in on us a year ago today.
My job is being the Office Coordinator at the Fairhaven Harbor Community Club's Public Work and Wastewater departments. We do not get snow or ice days. I reported to work only to find the power was out there as well as at home. Our wastewater plants and lift stations were running on generator power as was the coffee pot in the main shop. That was it. I spent the day answering the phone by lamplight. I left my gloves on.
Keep in mind that all the roads and driveways are covered in ice. I got lots ( and I mean lots of phone calls ) with people wanting to know if the garbage truck would be running. I was tactful. I really was. What I wanted to ask was, "Can you get your bony old butt to the end of the drive to put your trash out? No? The trash truck will not be running."
I had calls of people wanting to know when the power was coming back on. I had to explain repeatedly that we were not the electric company and assure them that Little Jean Electric was out in force and doing the best they could.
One man called to ask where he could get a cup of coffee.
Another caller wanted to let me know that it was a terrible time to be working on the power lines with all this bad weather and all. It took me awhile to get her to understand the weather caused the power outage. She said, "Fine, but I'm freezing and shivering in my own home. What do you want me to do?" Hunker down, lady. Wait'll the sun goes down. No, once again. I was tactful and suggested options for her to stay warm or to find accomodations elsewhere.
One lady called because she was out of bananas.
A property owner from Houston called because she had called the Main Office to let them know about her new mailing address, but no one answered. She just kept called Club offices until someone answered. I explained to her about the ice storm and that the Main Office was closed and asked her to try back next week. She said, "No, I'm calling you." She proceeded to give me the new information. She then told me to pass it on to Owner Services when the office opened again and to call her local condo association and give them the information, too. Then she hung up. Did I just pretend to write it all down? No. Did I promptly throw it in the trash after she hung up. No. I thought about doing both, but hey, I was here. I forwarded the information this week. I am just way too nice.
We also had lots of calls from folks on the sewer system with grinder pumps. When the power goes out, it is a good idea to stop flushing the toilet. Each pump has a fifty gallon tank. After more gallons than that, the "liquid" has to go somewhere else, usually back in your home. The problem is, one doesn't know how many gallons were in the tank when the power went out. (Kinda like the Russian Roulette of the poop world). It can get a tad messy.
Our guys had to stop some folks from driving around road barricades. One lady said, "Oh, I didn't think that was for me." Another said, "I was just moving this thing someone left in the road out of the way." The elderly man who couldn't get out of his car (which was in a ditch) without his walker said, "This is nothin'. I'm from Nebraska. I know how to drive on this stuff." Apparently not, Mr. Omaha. There are lots of people in the Harbor from Nebraska and Minnesota and Illinois and Iowa and Michigan and New York, etc. etc. etc. They all know how to drive on "this stuff". They just forget that the roads from wherever they were from were relatively straight and flat. We're in the Ozarks now. That ain't the lay of the land. Add to that, "this stuff" "at home" would be snow. Here, it's ICE. No one knows how to drive on ice.....not when the roads are winding and steep. But hey, I guess that's just my simple Southern opinion.
I felt for each and every one of them. I did. (Okay, well, not all of them) I did, however, thank the powers that be that my home is on a septic tank....And for the gas fireplace.... And that the Water Company had generators on the water tanks. Tap & I were good. Mom (Evelyn Gonzalez) lost power for only a couple of hours total. Tap & I were out for about 36 hours. Others persevered through four days.
Little Jean did an amazing job getting all those poles and lines back in place as fast as they did. Our Public Works guys were genuises at clearing roads of ice and trees. Our Wastewater guys managed to keep the poo flowing and out of people's homes.
And me................I was the voice of all of the above and managed to make most (if not all - you just can't please them all) of the callers feel better or solve some problem or just let them know we were all in the same boat and that this too would pass. No, really. I did. I DID TOO. Whatever!
The sun is starting to come out and warm us up again. This weekend is supposed to be in the 60s and the Harbor folk are happy once again.
We like it when the Harbor folk are happy.