Ice storm!

[Donnaj4962]

Well, I have been off for a while. My power went out on Friday morning at 5:15!!!! The ice is so thick and the branches were dropping everywhere. In our area, 4 days later, there are still close to 50,000 without power! And I am one of those! I did everything I could to keep the kitties warm.... I even went and bought one of those warming pads for Tabby. Poor thing, 20 years old, barely any fat on her, and she was shivering like crazy! I was bundled in 4 layers of clothes, and had 5 blankets on me as I layed in bed, trying to figure out what to do. No shelters would take animals, and I wasn't leaving my girls behind! The hotels are all booked and the prices are at least $100.00 a night. I sure can't afford that. I was in tears Sunday, wondering what I was going to do when my friend's husband pulled in the driveway and told me they finaly got power and to bring the cats and come over! We slept in the basement last night, and we were warm! I got a shower and a warm meal. And I am among other people!!!!!!!! I am so blessed!

I am at work now, having had to come in to take care of a few things. A tree went down in back of my house and took out 4 power lines, and the electric company won't do anything until that tree is taken care of. So my landlord is getting that taken care of today and she said that the power company has said I MAY have power by Christmas!

At least we have somewhere to be that is warm, and my girls and I are taken care of. God bless everyone who is working around the clock to restore power to our area, and please pray for those who have no where to go and are sticking it out in their frigid homes.

I hope to be able to check in again tomorrow. We'll see what happens. Apparently, there is another front headed our way and it is bringing snow, freezing rain and ice pellets! I don't know how much more of this we can take!

Hope everyone else in this area is faring well and staying warm. The temp. now???? 6 degrees! We would have been popsicles had we stayed in the house last night!

[lizbud]

Oh wow. I heard that the Ft. Wayne area got the brunt of that ice
storm. I read today that power might be back by Weds. I
really hope so for your sake.

I am so glad you & the kitties have a warm place to stay.

[Logan]

Hope you get that power back soon, Donna!!! What a mess for so many folks. It is cold in SC, but not that cold.

Logan

[chocolatepuppy]

I was fighting back tears reading that you and your kitties were so cold. Thank goodness you're somewhere warm now.

[Karen]

Thank goodness you and the kitties are all okay, and found warm shelter for the night! There are some towns in Massachusetts that also haven't had power for over a week, probably the same ice storm.

[Laura's Babies]

WOW! My heart goes out to you and your babies having to do without power in the worst possiable weather...A WINTER FREEZE!

I handled it after Gustav without power when it was out.. I can take the heat far better than the cold..

[slick]

Oh Donna, how wonderful of your friend to offer residence and I'm so glad you and the furbabies can stay warm. I can't imagine being without power for so long. Fingers crossed that you are home and warm for Christmas Day.

[Medusa]

Prayers are going up right now that your power will be restored quickly and easily and that the weather will clear out so that you don't get hit so hard again. God can clear the way. Thankfully, you have a good friend who offered his home to you so that you and your furkids can stay warm. Sending you warm, snuggly thoughts.

[Vermontcat]

I'm so sorry to hear that you lost power and that you and your sweet kitties were so cold.
I'm glad that you have a friend nearby who was able to help you.
I hope you get your power back soon and will be able to check in with us again.
Stay warm and hug those kitties for me.

[Donnaj4962]

Thank you all for your kind words and thoughts. When I got "home" last night, the kitties were fine, all curled up on the bed. Still no power at our house, but the hopeful news is that the power company called me 2x (once at 10:30 pm last night and again at 3:30 am this morning) with an automated system asking if I had power restored yet. Both times I answered no, and my friends where I am staying tell me that once they got the call from the power company, they had power within 12 hours! However, they didn't have a tree down that had also taken out 4 lines (which we think are cable and phone). The concern is that it will take longer since the tree is there. Apparently the power company won't do anything until the tree is taken care of. I know my landlord was trying to find someone to take care of that, but all of the tree companies are swamped right now! This is so crazy. And now, we are supposed to get an inch of snow this afternoon, and freezing rain and sleet tonight!!!!!!!!!!! Will this never end?

Please understand I am not complaining.... I am so grateful to have a warm place for me and the kitties to stay! The Red Cross has set up emergency shelters in several locations in town. One is even allowing PETS! I am so grateful for that! I know a lot of people with pets were refusing to leave their cold homes because they had nowhere to take their animals. The Animal Care and Control is also taking pets in so that their humans can go somewhere warm also. What a great community coming together in this time of need.

I will try again to check in and update everyone. I am using my office computer, but we are off Wednesday and Thursday. It could be Friday before I check back in.

Merry Christmas to all......and stay warm!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Lillycat]

So sorry to hear of the utility loss. I am hoping that will be fixed shortly. I was without utilities a year or so ago when we had a terrible storm and I managed for a couple of days hanging quilts up on doorways and using the two woodstoves I have. It was not a good thing and started to get very cold and I was so thankful to have the utilities on again, so I have some idea of what you are going through. How wonderful that doors were opened to you and your cats. That was a real blessing. Looking forward to your next post, and hearing that all is well with you and your cats.....

[krazyaboutkatz]

Donna, I'm so sorry to hear this. Hopefully your power will be restored soon. At least you and your cats have a warm place to stay until then. Please take care. (((HUGS)))

[Donnaj4962]

Again, thank you to all for your support and kind wishes! I swent to the house last night after work, and was so excited to see lights on throughout the block.... until I got to my house. NO LIGHTS! (Only my house is without power.) I called my landlord, she called the power company, and they have no idea why the power isn't on. They have red flagged my address and said that they would send someone over ASAP. I am at my friend's and will head over to my house soon to see what is happening. I am convinced that the tree that fell in the back drive and took out 4 lines is the issue, but the landlord says that shouldn't be the problem as the lines are not power related. I am just hoping to get power today.

The ice and snow that we were predicted to get yesterday wasn't near as bad, and the ice is melting from the trees. I talked to my boyfriend this morning and he said the side streets are very icy and cars are sliding all over the place. I will try to keep everyone updated as things change!

Merry Christmas to all!

[Donnaj4962]

I finally got power restored to my house Wednesday afternoon. The kitties and I moved back home around 10 pm Christmas Eve! It felt so wonderful to be back home and sleeping in my own bed! I still have no internet, phone, or cable, but we are home, safe and warm! That is what matters.

There is a small leak coming from the upstairs apartment, and a plumber will come in today (hopefully) to check that.

Now this morning, I was scraping ICE from my car during a lightening/thunder storm!!!!!!!!!!!! Where else can you scrape ice from your car the day after Christmas while dodging lightening bolts???!!! They say that in Indiana, if you don't like the weather today, wait until tomorrow because it will be different! The predicted high tomorrow? 60 degrees!

[Medusa]

Yay, you were back home and safe in time for Christmas! I'm so glad that all is well. Btw, they say the same about Ohio weather, too. It's been crazy here but we've lucked out so far this year, so brutal weather. We've had a couple of 3 degree days but other than that, it's unusually warm now for this time of year. It's supposed to go up to 65 tomorrow. Anyhow, I'm sure your Christmas felt especially good this year.