We loss power 2x Saturday evening. (Reliant Energy is our utility company). My neighbors gathered outside in the cul-de-sac...I was the only one with a radio and batteries! No one could find their flashlight. It was 7:30pm so it wasn't dark yet....Power finally came on.

About 1-2hrs. ago a storm swept through Houston. Again I loss power. Of course I turned on my ccrane (sangean 818) radio and listened to the news. :-) Power came back on and now most of us are back to normal.

This made me think of what could possilbly happen come Jan. 1 if we have power only periodically.

-- quietly (quietly@preparing.com), August 31, 1999

Answers

There's nothing quite like losing power in Houston on August 31. As it slowly heats up to 104 degrees in your house with infinite humidity, you miss the good ol' days of just a few hours ago...

-- Dog Gone (layinglow@rollover.now), August 31, 1999.

Hi, Quietly preparing! I only WISH our power had gone out! What we had was a lot worse! I ran around my house unplugging everything because our power surged/spiked about 20 times. The lights would be SO dim for a few seconds, you could barely see. The motor in my refrigerator sounded almost like a motorcycle revving up and down. That is one of the things I am really dreading at the rollover even if the power stays on. It can easily damage appliances.

-- Gayla (privacy@please.com), August 31, 1999.

Dog Gone, Gayla, glad you're ok. I forgot to mention that when the power went out the first time on Saturday, I was on the computer. I loss access to one of my ISP's and one of them I have to access differently than before. Haven't figured it out yet.

If we have brownouts after the rollover that happen at whim...well I can see where planning is definately necessary. Example, I made it home right before the storm and had stopped off for take out for dinner. So when I got home and the power went out it took me awhile to realize that we better eat dinner NOW because there wasn't any microwave.

I also found out that even though I have a gas range, it didn't work when the power was off.

-- quietly (quietly@preparing.com), August 31, 1999.

I plan to be "off the grid" on 12/31 most of the evening. We'll be running on the generator, "just in case". Can't be too careful...

-- Dennis (djolson@pressenter.com), August 31, 1999.

Yes. I can see it now. Power surges and 'missles' your Christmas tree past the recliner, through the front window and into the street.

Happy New Year! (my god Elmer....our baby Jesus is on the Miller's roof!)

:)

-- Will continue (farming@home.com), August 31, 1999.

Practice, practice, practice. Now try it for 24 to 48 hours and see what other tidbits you figure out. Better to find out those things in September than Jan. 1st. Also better in September than Oct., Nov. or Dec. because anything you decide you need will become increasingly harder to get.

-- Linda (lwmb@psln.com), August 31, 1999.

Prepare as though you will be camping out of your home. Have your propane stove, candles, bat operated radio, stored water, and food. Stay warm, . When the clock stikes 12 and if the infrastructure goes down, dont panic, the sun will rise in seven hours.

-- LL Bean (tdd@hyu.com), August 31, 1999.

Alternative to unplugging appliances? Hit the breaker box.

-- A. Hambley (a.hambley@usa.net), September 01, 1999.