On Thu, 9 Nov 2017 18:39:23 -0500, "Jim Wilkins"
wrote:
The storm blew down trees that broke power lines and poles, so in that
sense distribution was a problem. The bucket trucks have a safe wind
limit of 35(??) MPH which the last storm exceeded all the next day,
delaying restoration.
The news said a crew could install two poles per
day. One of their anchors took Pole Climbing 101 and demonstrated that
he already has the right job.
Heh, heh, heh. That's a good reality check for a Leftjournalist.
A crew had just trimmed the trees near the lines here a week before
but they don't touch trees on private property that are further back.
I did ask.
The problem is that wherever the trees can fall on lines, they will in
a storm. All trees tall enough to impact lines should be topped
(usually not a good idea, but one option) or removed, not just
trimmed, if the power line is above ground. It's a binary problem and
solution. Fix it or suffer the consequences. Any trees tall enough
to impact the lines should be considered to be on the utility's right
of way. Yes, the owner should be given the choice of topping or
felling, and if they want the wood, the utility can leave the cut
remains. All or nothing. State legal teams need to get this to
happen. They already have right-of-ways through private property, so
this is a small extension.
== Looking at Santa Rosa and Napa Valley should be a clear indication
of why this needs to be done. 5,700 homes lost to simple gusty winds
because people wouldn't let the utility trim trees. ==
I took the option to ask the tree trimmers hired by Pacific Power to
take the whole trees down instead of just trimming them, and they did
it for me. The agreement was that I would handle the remains, but
when I returned home that day, they had chipped it, too. I asked if
they wanted to get rid of the chips and got two truckloads of them,
which I installed in place of a front lawn. Win/Win/Win.
https://www.eversource.com/Content/g.../tree-trimming
Eversource serves NH, MA and CT but not Maine, so I know nothing of
conditions there. Eversource brings in crews from all over the
Northeast and some from Canada to repair damage quickly, and loans
crews out for their problems. I think I've seen a truck from Ohio.
Smaller independents are slower to restore power.
Eversource has crews on standby for another windstorm tonight.
Yeah, linesmen are just like firefighters in that respect, swarming
from all over to fix a problem ASAP.
--
America rose from abnormal origina. The nation didn't grow organ-
ically or gradually from indigenous tribes--like, say, the French
or the Poles--but emerged out of courageous, conscious acts of
will by Pilgrims and Patriots. --Michael Medved, Right Turns