3M(illion) powerless as October snow surprises Northeast (shattering the record set two months ago)

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By MICHAEL MELIA

SOUTH WINDSOR, Conn. (AP) - When winter's white mixes with autumn's orange and gold, nature gets ugly.

A freak October nor'easter knocked out power to more than 3 million homes and businesses across the Northeast on Sunday in large part because leaves still on the trees caught more snow, overloading branches that snapped and wreaked havoc. Close to 2 feet of snow fell in some areas over the weekend, and it was particularly wet and heavy, making the storm even more damaging.

"You just have absolute tree carnage with this heavy snow just straining the branches," said National Weather Service spokesman Chris Vaccaro.

From Maryland to Maine, officials said it would take days to restore electricity, even though the snow ended Sunday.

Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20111030/D9QMRU6O0.html

[rocktivity]

1. My internet and TV were out for twelve hours, but my lights stayed on

which didn't make me as good as it should have.

:(
rocktivity (newark nj 4 inches)

[gauguin57]

2. I was lucky here in southcentral PA ... just a few flickers.

But I have friends who haven't had power for most of the day, just a few miles away.

The next county over, York County, had massive power outages. So many leaves still on the trees ... so many limbs snapped off when that heavy, wet snow built up.

[harrose]

3. That's what happens...

...when you allow Rethugs to ignore or block environmental legislation. You have climate change (with freak storms) and people are without power and die.

[defendandprotect]

7. True -- this is Global Warming and an unexpected compounding of snow on trees with leaves!

Big loss of trees here in my town in Central NJ!

And I think it's going to become even more of "We had to burn the village to

save it" as people eye trees for pruning to prevent large branches from falling

on roadways and close to homes.

We did a little tour today and almost every street had downed branches lining the

streets and many working on sawing felled branches in order to move them.

Many trees trees down and lots of problems from weight of snow on wires.

[reformist2]

10. Remember when all the leaves used to be down by Halloween?

Now they're still on the trees, most of them still green! The climate in NY/New England sure has changed...

[defendandprotect]

12. Come to think of it, you're right -- Halloween, kids used to be knee deep in leaves in streets!!

But still don't ever recall snow in October -- at least not a dumping like

we've just gotten -- but everything re weather sure has changed!!


:hi:

[SpiralHawk]

9. Republicons will be held accountable for this

by the Great Weatherman in the Sky.

Lying about reality is a core Republicon Family Value, even though repugnant to honorable people everywhere.

[sofa king]

11. Blocking infrastructure improvements and maintenance, too.

The most obvious problem of this storm was the known problem of heavy snow breaking branches and trees across the hanging power lines.

Guess who fights burying the power lines every year?

[femmocrat]

4. Western PA--- our power was out for about 12 hrs.

There were about 14,000 customers without power in Westmoreland and Fayette Counties. Those without power have my sympathy... we were cold and miserable.

[Lugnut]

5. Our power went off and right back on several times.

Thankfully, we never lost power completely. Outages were mostly hit and miss around here.

[defendandprotect]

6. Here in Central NJ we have tremendous numbers of branches/trees down ....

which is even worse than the damage done with the summer storm.

We were without electricity for about 12 hours -- but still lots more in

our town who are still waiting for it to be restored -- maybe into next week, Mon/Tues!!

[leftynyc]

8. Sister in the Armonk, NY area

has been told she wouldn't have lights until 11PM Wednesday. My folks in Somers, NY (a little more northwest than ARmonk) also still without lights.

[defendandprotect]

13. Wow -- !!

We were lucky only out about 12 hours -- but many on north side of town will be

out for days. My daughter is in Boston and they fairly OK, but winds knocked

down a tree near her -- uprooted. No one lost electricity, tho -- and tree luckily

fell between two houses!

Very unpleasant living at the end of an electrical plug when there is no power!!

Managed to get a shower in just in case -- but no hair dryer!


:hi: