"Ignoramus4719" wrote in message
...
Life lesson #116: having a generator or two is essential.

In my case, in this storm, a generator wouldn't have done anything. The last
time I wished I had one was after a nor'easter 25 years ago. And all it
would have done for me then is save maybe $50 worth of food.


I have two: a 20 kW diesel, and a small 1.5 kW gas one, pretty old.

I also live on a hill, have a 12v backup sump pump, three extra
batteries (not great, but better than nothing), an extra 115v sump
pump, 115v utility pump, and a 115v irrigation pump.

Also a water alarm.

I did not buy all those pumps new just for the basement. Say, the
irrigation pump I am using for my kids water slide, second 115v sump
pump is from me replacing it with a new Zoeller pump, etc. But it helps.

Glad you guys made it, could have been worse.

i

On 2011-08-30, Ed Huntress wrote:

"Too_Many_Tools" wrote in message
...
On Aug 29, 3:20 pm, "Ed Huntress" wrote:
"Winston" wrote in message

...

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/08/28/irene.new.jersey/

Street surfing in 'Jersey!
How did it go, Ed?

--Winston

I got some practice on my backstroke in the basement. g This is the
first
I've been online, and I'm still on borrowed power.

So...how it went. The wind blew, and stuff flew, and the rain came down.
And
down. And down. And down...

My sump pump was handling it well, and I was cleaning up the slurps with
my
shop vac until 1:00 AM. Then I laid down for a rest; set the alarm for
3:00
AM.

About 2:00 AM, according to the clocks, a branch from my neighbor's tree
fell across my power, cable, and telephone feeds (the lines are across
the
street). All three came down. I woke up around 7:00 AM to find 7 inches
of
water in the basement, which wiped out my compressor, several boxes of
tools, my water heater, and God knows what else. I spent hours getting
the
water heater pilot tube off (without breaking it), blew out the water,
and
eventually got it back together and re-lit. It was making gurgling
sounds.
and spitting at me.

I borrowed power from a neighbor, for the sump pump, one light and the
refrigerator. I got the last of the water out this morning. Still no
power.
Cable hooked up an hour ago, so I fired up the computer on power
borrowed
from my neighbor.

Now I have to get off and re-connect it to the refrigerator. g

No other damage and everyone is well. See you soon.

Oh, if you caught "Good Morning America" this morning around 7: 15 ET,
they
had a live feed of a street in NJ with an oak tree around 80 years old
down
across the end of a cul-de-sac, with power lines down all over. That was
two
doors down from my house. They asked to interview me. Having been up for
1-1/2 nights with no shower, I declined. d8-)


Good to hear that things are working out.

Millions of people got very lucky with Irene.

TMT

And many more did not. The floods have killed people and destroyed a LOT
of
homes.

I could myself among the lucky ones. They re-connected my power lines
around
midnight.