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January 2009 Bay of Biscay storm

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  • January 2009 Bay of Biscay storm

    Here I am!

    We had one hellofawindstorm....no problem for us preppers, except I see now the need for a better emergency lighting program.

    No HawaaiThreads and no Obama was a problem for me, but the kids had a fine time. Keoni says that they had more fun than during ordinary times...scrabble and piano by candlelight, singing and telling stories in the dark at bedtime, walking around at night and seeing zillions of stars that are usually blanked out by town lights, fun was had by all. All of us, anyway.

    Poor old Marie-Claude. We found her shivering in the dark next to a stovetop gas flame in her tiny kitchen...her electric shutters couldn't open, her town gas boiler couldn't fire up to heat the house, her boyfriend, George, couldn't call her and comfort her (he lives far away). So we dragged her over to our house for a lovely roast pork dinner by candlelight and had a good laugh and a hot meal.

    After thirty six hours, the church bells began to ring and we wondered how, as they were automatic...Keoni said that the Priest was probably swinging from the ropes to clang them and get people in for Sunday service...the funny part was that they were ringing to signal the return of electricity in the town center and we never even thought of that. It took another hour before one of the kids saw Marie-Claude's shutters up and we realized that the power was back on (Like a good prepper, I'd turned the fusebox off when the power went off so that it wouldn't jump off again when the power returned).

    We had thirtysix hours with no power and five days with no TV, telephone, or Internet. Easy-peasy for us, but many people not in the middle of town still don't have power and won't for another week or so...this is the perks of paying more taxes for living in town, I guess.

    The supermarkets and the small shops and restaurants all have had to toss out tons of thawed food. Trees are down all over. The radio stations are full of people calling for help and other people offering help.

    No trains from here in the SW to the north...Keoni was here but Keala was to come on Saturday morning so he got stuck in Bordeaux. Keoni only finally managed to get back up north last night on a bus, which the train people have put on because there are no trains because the Landes forest has lost so many trees and the tracks are a mess.

    We're lucky that this is a valley and was pretty much protected...those people just north of us are in the shits and will be for ages still. That huge pine forest between us and Bordeaux is toast.

    We had water the whole time, although word went out after 24 hours that is was going to be cut off. I wasn't too worried because I have the 1500 litre water tank under the staircase, but I had let the water in bottles slide a bit, so we all filled what we could...actually I am somewhat ashamed to admit that the thousands of empty bottles I have were stuck up in the attic behind piles of junk. But that was my only 'lapse'....but the campapotties and the toilet buckets were at the ready.

    And the better lighting systems were up at the campground in the car.

    I had taken out a huge loin of pork the night before, and it roasted slowly all the next day, just the smell of it cooking making us feel comfy and cozy, as well as well-fed. We gnawed at it for three days(it was a big roast) and never even thought about the freezer thawing, because I didn't have to open it (I was ready to go up to the car and get the generator if the power outage had lasted another day, though).

    The only hiccups were that my kids have learned to be kind and generous...they loaned out the fondue pot and the alcohol to one friend, another friend came calling with his mom to ask for candles, another for water bottles, and to top it off, Keoni volunteered the generator to someoneelse...although, in the end, the someone else is the man at the cybercafé and to pay back the favour he will be fixing our other computer for free.

    By now I think the entire town knows I have candles and a generator. I have to get a gun for next time, I guess. I hope nobody realizes the extent of our food preps.

    People are kind of dumb.

    We went for a walk and watched the supermarket gaspumps...cars were in line for gas and nobody had realized that you don't get gas from an automatic pump without also having electricity.

    So many people have all-electric apartments and were stuck for cooking and heating.

    So many people shop on a daily basis and had not much food in the house and no way to buy any with the supermarkets closed. One lady went looking for dogfood and said she's pop up the the vets' office to get some because the store was closed. The vet was also closed.

    So many shops couldn't open open if they had wanted to because their doors and cash registers and scales are electric. The town was very quiet and calm for a few days, no traffic noise at all.

    Except for the fireman and ambulances, which are still going strong as I type.

    No phones. Not even portable cellphones. No way to call for help.
    http://thissmallfrenchtown.blogspot.com/
    http://thefrenchneighbor.blogspot.com/

  • #2
    Re: January 2009 Bay of Biscay storm

    Been there, lived there and got the tea-shirt. I know what it's like when that happens but I am only sorry I couldn't have been there to help out. You are pretty well organised Susie and would have paraffin lamps and candles at hand.
    It's the older people that I am concerned about at times like these. I am heading your way to put up signs :- Pointing to your house :-

    *In a time of crisis, head for Susies.*

    Glad to hear that you are OK.

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    • #3
      Re: January 2009 Bay of Biscay storm

      http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1231/...87136a.jpg?v=0

      This is the church right by our house. See that long vertical crack? This is an old picture...after the storm, the crack not only is wider, but there is now a second one alongside of it. I'll get a picture in the morning to show you all.
      http://thissmallfrenchtown.blogspot.com/
      http://thefrenchneighbor.blogspot.com/

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