No power for about 7 hours last night!
By The Horse
@TheHorse (238268)
Walnut Creek, California
April 7, 2017 9:39am CST
I was planning to grade about 15 of 30 papers last night, but it didn't happen. Our power went out at about 9:30, plunging our entire neighborhood into darkness. It was raining hard, but I don't know if the storm was responsible.
I scrambled in the dark to find a lighter, my four candles, and my flashlight. My neighbor, a nice young fella from India with a wife and baby, borrowed one of my lighters.
I took this picture, from my kitchen to my desk, where I would usually be writing, turned off my stereo gear, and then settled in to play some guitar on my bed. My young neighbor friend and his mom stopped by briefly while I was playing. I said, "Too late for us to go exploring this time, eh?" I asked if they needed any candles, but they said they were OK.
How often do you have blackouts where you live?
23 people like this
27 responses
@Mike197602 (15504)
• United Kingdom
7 Apr 17
I don't remember a powercut since I was a kid.
I used to quite like them but it would annoy me a lot if it happened now.
3 people like this
@vandana7 (102698)
• India
7 Apr 17
Yeah back then we could stop studying and listen to ghost stories..that is what we used to do in the hostel anyway...I remember they used to tell a story about the lady in white near the well with her legs turned back ..I used to wonder how they were able to see her legs in the night ...turned backwards or not...but I was too young to be disturbing the story teller who used to be always senior. When I became senior I thoroughly enjoyed troubling youngsters with such irrational stories. Hostel life is fun...
2 people like this
@vandana7 (102698)
• India
7 Apr 17
@Mike197602 .. Aw...boys will be boys......fire hammer motors electricals and electronics..smh..we used to be huddled into one room...and seniors had to take charge of juniors kinda...and they were naughty so I turned out to be like that..lol
1 person likes this
@Mike197602 (15504)
• United Kingdom
7 Apr 17
@vandana7 I used to like having to do everything by candle light.
That was before computers were so big though
2 people like this
@divalounger (6182)
• United States
7 Apr 17
It was certainly blowing last night--I was wondering if we were going to lose power as well--but we were fine
2 people like this
@divalounger (6182)
• United States
8 Apr 17
@TheHorse We had the winds howling and beating the window casements so hard that I thought we would lose one or two, but we were fine--
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
8 Apr 17
At this home we have not lost power very much in the 4 years we've lived here...two hours one time was basically it and it was during daytime so not an issues. But since we are in Southern Tornado Alley, we hae Coleman lanterns charged and ready at all times.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
8 Apr 17
@TheHorse I think my husband has had owned them since the year 1 - we just had to buy new batteries since they stopped holding a charge.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (238268)
• Walnut Creek, California
8 Apr 17
@AbbyGreenhill Even my rechargeable batteries stop holding a charge after awhile.
@Marilynda1225 (91013)
• United States
7 Apr 17
Doesn't happen very often here but I do have flashlights handy just in case
2 people like this
@diosabella (4789)
•
8 Apr 17
Its been years since the last black out and it was due from a massive storm. How's the weather now?
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (238268)
• Walnut Creek, California
8 Apr 17
@diosabella Right now it's a slow and steady Seattle-style rain. You'd be OK with it.
1 person likes this
@diosabella (4789)
•
8 Apr 17
@TheHorse I'm good with rain pouring, but I get anxiety attack when there's too much wind. I hope the weather gets better soon.
1 person likes this
@dodo19 (48120)
• Beaconsfield, Quebec
7 Apr 17
At least you were prepared. We don't often get blackouts or power outage. And when we do, they don't last very long. We're next to a hospital, clinic, and two-three nursing homes. So we're usually some of the first people to get it back.
1 person likes this
@Shellyann36 (11383)
• United States
8 Apr 17
Thankfully, we do not get blackouts. When it storms we can lose power but the electric company is really good about jumping right into the storm and fixing the problems.
1 person likes this
@Shellyann36 (11383)
• United States
9 Apr 17
@TheHorse No, we don't have that problem. I don't live in a densely populated area though. I am almost considered rural (for the meantime that is).
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (238268)
• Walnut Creek, California
8 Apr 17
You don't even lose power for an hour or so now and again? Apparently, about 50,000 were still affected as of today here in the Bay Area. My power flashed on at 4 AM or so. I turned out my lights and went back to sleep until 6:30 AM.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (238268)
• Walnut Creek, California
10 Apr 17
@Shellyann36 For the meantime indeed. I think my horse's old house is going to be McMansions.
@vandana7 (102698)
• India
8 Apr 17
@TheHorse .. Kind of Uninterrupted Power Supply for home on which fans and some types of coolers and lights and TV and computer can be used but no refrigerators, air conditioners and grinding or oven equipments may be used. The number of lights and fans that can be used with it is limited. The number of hours we can use it is also limited so we cut down on computer and tv and keep one light and one fan.
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
7 Apr 17
It was raining there?wow
It wasn't here and not often we get black outs
One time a few years back it was for hours throughout the night. About 10 hours!
People were raising the price of water even tripling, as well as lighters and matches etc at the common & pop stores
No gas was available either to use
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
8 Apr 17
@TheHorse Hey you forgot! Southern California all the way south :) You have guessed it a few times!
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
7 Apr 17
sounds like it might be time to have a camping lantern in a closet
1 person likes this
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
11 Apr 17
@TheHorse I have a list of things I want here for emergencies and that is on it. We just finally got a carbon monoxide detector, she should have already had that seeing as this house has gas
@nanette64 (20363)
• Fairfield, Texas
8 Apr 17
I think the longest I ever had was 6 hours @TheHorse and I have battery-operated lanterns. Much better than candles.
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20363)
• Fairfield, Texas
8 Apr 17
@TheHorse The nice thing about the lanterns is that they extend more light. It would have made grading papers real easy.
@Daljinder (23193)
• Bangalore, India
7 Apr 17
Funny that you ask! Yesterday only I told my friend here that even if there is a little rain or a little wind, electricity people cut the electricity off. 
1 person likes this
@KrauseHome (36445)
• United States
9 Apr 17
Been quite a while since we had any Blackouts here. We actually are lucky. Might be since we are right off the Indian Reservation area but we are usually one of the last ones hit when there is a Power outage in our area.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (208746)
• United States
8 Apr 17
It is alway dismaying with the power goes off! I am glad you got it back on.
1 person likes this
@abhinalstrikr (4110)
• India
7 Apr 17
Its rare now a days that we are left without electricity,it happens only during heavy rain,that too till rain or Storm exhists
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43567)
• Denver, Colorado
9 Apr 17
I honestly don't even remember our last power outage.
1 person likes this
