Ice Storm Report
Saturday, December 13th, 2008On Thursday evening, December 11, 2008, an ice storm rolled into Maine. Our water, flashlights and other necessities were ready. But then, you are never really ready it seems.
I awoke at 3:05 AM on Friday morning. The power was out and I was listening to the loud snapping and breaking of branches outside. I got up to check on things. A 25 foot branch off a pine tree rested on our porch and a larger second one was on the ground behind my car. So I got dressed and in a sleeting, driving, frozen rain, I moved both cars up near the road and away from all trees to insure that we could get out in the morning and to minimize any damage caused by more falling branches.
In the morning, over a dozen large branches were lying in the driveway. No trees down that I could see. Still no power. Erica and I drove Deb to work early so she could shower and clean up before starting. There were a few trees down but not a great deal of damage otherwise. Everything was coated in about a quarter-inch of ice.
The sound of cracking and breaking was heard all around us when we returned home. The great weight of ice on the trees forced most branches to toward the ground. As the day warmed up and the rain stopped the sound of ice showering off the trees like millions of glasses crashing and breaking to the ground.
Moody’s Diner was busy Friday night with many powerless people in to eat and warm up. All in good spirits despite being 12 hours without power.
This morning we went to the YMCA for gymnastics and showers. The showers were very busy!
Tonight is Deb’s office party at the Samoset Resort Hotel in Rockport, ME. We are very glad that we decided weeks ago to get a room for the night and not worry about driving home. So Erica is staying at my Dad’s house, who has a generator running for power. Our house has a propane heater running in the basement to avoid the pipes freezing. And Deb and I are staying in a very nice warm hotel room overlooking the breakwater.
If power is not restored by the time we get home on Sunday, and we don’t expect it to be, then we will borrow a generator from my brother as his power is restored and hopefully he doesn’t need it. The current report on the news is 3 to 5 days before all power is restored. I’m hoping we are closer to three then the five!
Tags: CMP, Damariscotta, ice storm, Maine, Nobleboro, power outage, Rockport, Samoset, weather
