As I watch both Canadian and American resources being rushed to the sites of massive power outages, floods, etc., I can't help but imagine similar circumstances after 1-1-2000. Resources may not be rushed to the affected sites because those resources will be needed in their home areas to combat their own problems. There are reports that some areas may have to wait up to 4 weeks before their power is restored. Tempers are flaring in the shelters, and it hasn't been a week, yet. We have computers to help track problems, schedule resource allocation and repairs, and the like. Will we be able to cope with a disaster if it strikes in January, 2000?

-- George Ball (gball@servtech.com), January 12, 1998

Answers

I live in the area affected by the storm. At the storm's peak, 1.4 million homes (3 million) people were without power in the province of Quebec alone. Today, Jan 14, there are still 600,000 homes that have been without power for up to eight days.

My insights for Y2K are these:

1) DEPENDENCE: When a similar storm struck in 1960, I recall that many homes stayed warm because they used coal, gravity-fed oil, or manually controlled gas heat. Also, many businesses stayed open because their manual typewriters or paper filing systems weren't disabled by the blackout.

This time, EVERYTHING shut down - similar to Y2K.

2) VISIBILITY: An ice storm is very easy to understand. Ice forms on trees and wires, tree branches fall on wires, wires break and the electricity stops. Everyone knows what to do: remove fallen branches, reconnect wires and replace burnt-out transformers.

In Y2K, the problem will mostly be invisible and almost nobody will know what to do.

3) OUTSIDE HELP: By the third day, people were getting very tense. The sight of a convoy of repair crews from Western N.Y. state and later convoys of the Canadian Army raised everyone's spirits dramatically. It is important, psychologically, to know that there is an "outside world" where things still work and that it is just a matter of time before things are back to normal.

In Y2K there will be no "outside world" to help.

4) Y2K HARDENED: One positive outcome of this ordeal is that, in the affected areas, people are certainly not taking electricity for granted any longer. I and several neighbours will be installing wood stoves and buying generators shortly. Also, I understand that for the time being, the local electricity network has been disconnected from the larger grid. All our power is coming only from local - 1930's technology - hydo dams.

If another ice storm comes in Jan 2000, many of us will be ready. Early disasters, either computer related or natural, will hopefully get some people prepared for the breakdowns to come.

-- Peter Fisk (75253.3274@compuserve.com), January 14, 1998.

Here's a tiny it of good news relative to the safety timer on your oil burner.

Thank you for contacting Honeywell regarding this issue. There is no issue with this device and Y2K compliance. It is a mechanical device that does not run based on date. The time is counted down by an internal safety switch heater. This device is activated by the call for heat and if the flame is not seen in time the heat from the safety switch heater shuts down the device. If you have further questions or comments please call us at 1-800-468-1502 between the hours of 7:00am and 5:30pm CST Monday through Friday.

THE HONEYWELL CUSTOMER RESPONSE CENTER

-- Art Scott (Art.Scott@marist.edu), April 01, 1998.