Living without power
Lisa Roberson | The Chronicle-Telegram
The 600 or so Lorain County residents who remained without electricity Wednesday are learning to live without most modern conveniences the best they can.
It has been four days since a powerful windstorm from Hurricane Ike’s remnants blew through the area, knocking out power for thousands. Since then, electric company crews from across the region have been working double-time to repair downed lines, replace zapped power grids and restore service to the scores of affected households.
Some in Elyria are still waiting for the moment when a flick of a switch once again brings a light to life overhead. Until then, they are learning many things.
Some are finding blessings in the simplicity that quiet brings, others are spending more money on gasoline-powered generators than they ever would on four days’ worth of electricity, and still others are finding friends in strangers.
Rediscovering the simple life
Without the aid of television, radio or the Internet, Pat Ickes of Howard Street is getting her information the old-fashioned way: the neighborhood grapevine.
Staying connected to the outside world has not been easy for many on the northeast side of town. Power went out there for residents about 6 p.m. Sunday, and for many in the neighborhood, it has has yet to come back. However, the fourth day of life without electricity seems to be bringing out the best in people despite the hassles.
“We lucked out because our neighbor behind us never lost power, and they let us run an extension cord from their patio outlet to our house,” Ickes said. “It’s not enough power to run our entire house, but at least we aren’t losing any food.”
Ickes’ gas-powered stove and hot water tank are being counted as blessings. Unlike some powerless people, Ickes said she can take a hot shower and cook her dinner.
“You can do a lot of things if you think about it,” she said. “We’re reading more and going to bed earlier, so I guess having no power is good for the mind and body.”
Ickes could live a quieter, simpler life for a few days more. The news around the neighborhood is that power won’t be restored until the weekend.
Her nice neighbors are a plus
Elderly widow Irene Ufholz has called Wilshire Court home for 36 years, and for a majority of that time, she can honestly say she knew many of her neighbors as friends.
But as time went on, familiar friends moved away from the northeast Elyria neighborhood and were replaced by fresh faces. Ufholz said that until the power outage, she’s always thought of the newcomers as strangers.
That all changed Sunday evening. In an instant, Ufholz said, she was in the dark but surrounded by neighbors who became her friends.
“That neighbor over there put my trellis back up because the wind knocked it off my house,” she said Wednesday, pointing to a home across the street. “Then, over there, another neighbor boy got all the tree branches up and put them out for the city to get. My neighbor behind me hooked up an extension cord to his generator so I can have my refrigerator, television and a light at night.
“And next door, this nice woman I only know as Marie brought me breakfast from McDonald’s this morning. I told her she didn’t have to do that, but she said ‘That’s what neighbors are for. I’ll be back to check on you tonight.’ ”
The said when the power went out, she was a little nervous, but now she’s not worrying because everyone is looking out for each other.
“They are being very considerate to me and I don’t know how to thank them,” she said. “It’s just unreal.”
Using the expensive juice
Spending $50 a day on gasoline is not what William and Helen Lowe thought they would be doing when their electricity clicked off Sunday night.
They hooked up the generator — which produces enough power to run everything except from the air conditioning in their Georgetown Avenue home — soon after 7 p.m. and thought it would run until morning. Four days and $140 later, the hum of the generator remains audible at the Lowes’ house.
“When it first went out, we thought at least we will save some on this month’s electric bill,” Helen Lowe said. “Now, we aren’t saving a dime.”
This is the longest William Lowe said he has been without power in recent memory. He bought the generator years ago for moments like this, but never imagined he would rely on it for days.
“I guess we’re lucky because at least we have it, but we still want to have the electricity back on,” he said. “If things keep going like this, I will be heading back to the gas station again to spend another $50. We can afford it, but this is getting ridiculous.”
The Lowes are the ones who ran an extension cord to their home to let Ufholz tap into the generator.
Contact Lisa Roberson at 329-7121 or lroberson@chroniclet.com.
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Filed by Lisa Roberson | The Chronicle-Telegram September 18th, 2008 in BREAKING, Top Stories. Popularity: 4% |
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Comments
Comment from
300m
September 18, 2008, 10:18 am
I am so happy to hear some positive things has come out of a disaster. I live near Chestnut Ridge and RT57. A couple of our neighbors lost trees and the neighborhood men were out with chain saws cleaning up. We were lucky they did not hit any houses or cars. I all ways knew I live in a nice neighborhood, but now I know how much we all mean to each other.
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