Rude awakening in a storm.

Discussion in 'General Survival and Preparedness' started by Zimmy, May 11, 2019.


  1. Zimmy

    Zimmy Wait, I'm not ready!

    About 0230 this morning I was ripped from sleep by the awfully loud and rapid WUM-WUM-WUM-WUM-WUM of a desperately sick electrical system. I sat up fast and there was the ghostly impression of unseen Arc flashes at my bedroom window.

    There's a window AC unit there and with zombie like grace I leaped out of bed and somehow left my legs in the bed. I high crawled to the plug, checked it for heat and unplugged it to be on the safe side. I figured it had developed a direct short (although the cord and face were cool). I stepped outside to make sure there wasn't a fire and was instantly drenched by unknown rain. My birthday suit tag says drip dry. No worries. I shook my pelt dry like a dog and got back in bed.

    Right after I fall back asleep it happens again. As I stare blinking at the unplugged AC unit like a startled lemur I have a terrible semi-coherent thought. Lightning struck the mast and the weatherhead is on fire. That's the flashing outside! Something that runs intermittent in the house is shorting....that's the noise and spacing!

    My whole body jumps out at the same time and I run to the breaker panel and throw them all open. I can't smell smoke though. That's a good sign. No steam or smoke at the weatherhead.

    Since there are no big loads left in the bedroom I close that breaker for the fans but leave the rest open to be on the safe side. Shake dry and go back to bed.

    Right after I fall back to sleep it happens again! I get to the window just in time to see Sparks fly out of a transformer on a pole 50m away. The fans stop and I go back to bed. Outage aren't a problem. Fire is terrifying.

    At about 0500 the pole people had it all fixed and woke me up with a courtesy knock. They declined coffee and headed out.

    Funny how the mind works when kicked out of sleep.
     
  2. Thunder5Ranch

    Thunder5Ranch Monkey+++

    When my wife wants me awake and I do not comply............ She yells "OH MY GOd!!! MIKE WAKE UP THE BARN IS ON FIRE!!!!" Works every time! Go from dead sleep to running out the door LOL.
     
  3. GOG

    GOG Free American Monkey

    That's just cruel, but apparently it's effective. [gone]
     
  4. Seawolf1090

    Seawolf1090 Retired Curmudgeonly IT Monkey Founding Member

    I had a similar early power outtage last week. Only one loud "POP!", then all power dropped out.
    It was 09:00 in the morning - I sleep late these days. Got up and turned on an LED lantern, then called the power company. Went back to bed. Power came back at 11:20 AM. The faulty transformer is on the road right next to my front yard. Seems it pops about once a year.
    Last year a tree fell during Hurrican Michael and ripped down the wires. Took 'en four days to get to me!!
     
  5. mysterymet

    mysterymet Monkey+++

    Once in a while a bad storm knocks out the power. We wait 30 seconds and the standby generator kicks on. Then we enjoy a cup of hot tea and stare at the darkened neighborhood dotted by a few houses like ours with generators. I’ve had my house struck by lightning before we moved here. Definitely scary. Killed every TV and piece of computer equipment that was plugged in at the time.
     
  6. Salted Weapon

    Salted Weapon Monkey+++

    My new security camera are high tech and I forgot about a feature, one where the camera if touchs sends a beep letting me know. I forgot and at 3am awoke to beep beep, which is also my CO sensors noise it will make before that alarm goes off. I awoke thinking the smoke/CO went off, as I jumped outta bed. And silence. I also realized the safe makes that noise but its behind a firewall and door how could I hear that, so now I think someone is tampering with the safe. So grab my sidearm, and to the room notice the dog just sleeping like he was dead and think wow some watch dog someone in the safe room and shes sleeping 10 ft away. So I check the door its locked the room an doors are locked two. I did a house check and went to bed scratching my head.... woke up. Went over to check the nights events if any on the surveillance system and a friendly note on the screen told me where the beeps came from last night. Oh well at 3am the mind does work well. I went into full Chuck Norris mode over two beeps. Safe then sorry I guess.
     
    Alf60, Zimmy, oldman11 and 1 other person like this.
  7. Airtime

    Airtime Monkey+++

    Had a strange one last fall. The power flickered in the house a couple times. Looked out the kitchen window at the sky to see if a storm was brewing. Crystal clear and barely a whisper of wind. Hmmm.... then notice the wires from utility pole by the road to the pole up by the house with the meter were bouncing up and down aggressively. More hmmm. Looked and the big 3 phase power line running up and down the road were bouncing up and down quite extensively but seemed to be slowing down. What would cause that? First thought was vehicle ran off road and plowed into a pole. Jumped in truck and drove down road the see if someone needed help. Nope, a semi pulling a lowboy with a dozer on it had trouble making a tight corner a mile down the road and snagged or hit the guy wires for a big utility pole by the intersection. Broke 4 of the 5 guy wires - we’re talking like 7/16” steel cables. Then he just drove off.
     
    Last edited: May 13, 2019
  8. Big Ron

    Big Ron Monkey+++

    I was reading about how fragile our electrical grid is. People keep saying stuff like transformers have to be custom built and take weeks to get and that there is a shortage of them. Makes me wonder what it would take to somehow make or have them ahead of time.
    Could be a money maker.
     
    Seepalaces, oldman11 and GOG like this.
  9. Yard Dart

    Yard Dart Vigilant Monkey Moderator

    But that is not how business works. A high inventory pulls prices down don't ya know!!
     
    Seepalaces, Gator 45/70 and GOG like this.
  10. GOG

    GOG Free American Monkey

    Most of our transformers are manufactured or assembled in China.

    Who'da thunk it, huh?
    It's almost like some folks want an EMP attack or a CME, because it sure seems like that to me.
    It has to be intentional, because the other side may be many things, but stupid is not one of them.
     
  11. Tempstar

    Tempstar Monkey+++

    The 460 to 380 volt supply transformer for our Rhode & Schwartz transmitter is $88,000. It cost an additional $8300 in shipping. The 115Kv to 460 supplying the facility is $415,000 and took 1 year to get, even though that is a common one.
     
  12. Big Ron

    Big Ron Monkey+++

    I wonder what it really costs when you add materials and labor together. Not what someone managed to get for the item. Good info though. Reminds me of the price they put on new fighter jets. I don't see millions in materials, maybe millions in profit!
     
    Seepalaces, Gator 45/70 and GOG like this.
  13. Seepalaces

    Seepalaces Monkey+++

    An EMP would solve every imaginary problem environmentalists have within a year. Of course, it would also kill most of them, so it might solve a number of problems the whole world has, also.
     
  14. arleigh

    arleigh Goophy monkey

    The main reason I went to a battery system is due to regular power outages that tend to damage equipment.
    In the beginning I ran a battery charger from the grid to maintain the batteries that ran the inverter that ran our sensitive equipment, but as I acquired solar panels that all changed .
    Compared to my neighbors I've saved thousands of dollar with this system. .
     
    Seepalaces, Zimmy, GOG and 1 other person like this.
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