Watch out Northeast! [s]Sandy[/s] Another storm (Nor'easter) heading your way

[DrPizza]

The weather models are beginning to show a fairly good chance of a good old-fashioned Nor-easter hitting around Wed-Thur next week. :whiste:

edit: one of the models... NOTE: this is NOT Sandy...

 

[akshatp]

Jeez. We just got power back. We're fucked. The power companies are still scrambling to get full restoration.

 

[Jeff7]

I wonder how far off the break-even point would be if we were to move our vulnerable power lines underground?

 

[Printer Bandit]

:whiste: California dreamin :whiste:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-aK6JnyFmk

 

[DrPizza]

LOL@Bloomberg again. "It's not a tropical storm everyone, nothing to worry about." (Remember, he waited until the morning of Sandy before changing his mind about evacuating.)

 

[BUTCH1]

LOL@Bloomberg again. "It's not a tropical storm everyone, nothing to worry about." (Remember, he waited until the morning of Sandy before changing his mind about evacuating.)

I'd be worried about more outages, even worse with cold air plunging in afterward, tree limbs that were damaged by Sandy might break completely off resulting in more disruptions, no way those crews had time to remove damaged limbs, just the ones that were already laying across the lines..

 

[sjwaste]

LOL@Bloomberg again. "It's not a tropical storm everyone, nothing to worry about." (Remember, he waited until the morning of Sandy before changing his mind about evacuating.)

Let's just have the marathon that day.

 

[BUTCH1]

I wonder how far off the break-even point would be if we were to move our vulnerable power lines underground?

That was discussed to the hilt after 2004, problem is it's extraordinarily expensive and the utilities would have to pass that cost along to the end user with large increases, then if something breaks you need a backhoe to dig up the area to affect a repair, much more time consuming and expensive vs servicing overhead lines..

 

[KaOTiK]

That was discussed to the hilt after 2004, problem is it's extraordinarily expensive and the utilities would have to pass that cost along to the end user with large increases, then if something breaks you need a backhoe to dig up the area to affect a repair, much more time consuming and expensive vs servicing overhead lines..

It isn't that bad for repairs. My neighborhood has our power lines underground and really the only time the power goes out is when a transformer blows. When there was an actual problem in the line they were able to pinpoint it down to the spot and 2 guys dug the hole and fixed it in a couple of hours. Happened in my neighbors backyard (and was effecting my house). When I was talking to them about it they said they dig up to fix a line problem once or twice a day and it isn't a big deal.

 

[bonkers325]

Seriously? Hopefully they can deploy the subway tunnel plugs ready lol.

 

[Jeff7]

That was discussed to the hilt after 2004, problem is it's extraordinarily expensive and the utilities would have to pass that cost along to the end user with large increases, then if something breaks you need a backhoe to dig up the area to affect a repair, much more time consuming and expensive vs servicing overhead lines..

Huh.

How extraordinary? Are we talking 20 years until it's break-even, or never, or what?
Besides the cost of repairs themselves, there's the economic costs of downtime.

I guess a cheaper idea might be to keep the damn power lines away from the damn trees.

 

[lupi]

Let's just have the marathon that day.

lol

 

[postmortemIA]

:whiste: California dreamin :whiste:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-aK6JnyFmk

hope you don't get rude awakening
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Earthquakes

 

[Soccerman06]

Wost we get here are tornados every once in awhile, even then its separated by years and they usually arent that bad. Stupid coast people thinking they wont get wet.

 

[Iron Woode]

I am more worried about lake-effect snow squalls than anything else.

 

[Meractik]

I feel bad for the power utility workers already putting in 12-18 hour days... another storm is the last thing they need, even if its relatively calm it doesn't make being in a cherry picker with high winds any easier...

 

[mugs]

Hopefully I get power back so my sump pump will work.

 

[wirednuts]

I feel bad for the power utility workers already putting in 12-18 hour days... another storm is the last thing they need, even if its relatively calm it doesn't make being in a cherry picker with high winds any easier...

um.. those guys chose their jobs for one, nobody is forced into that line of work... and also they get paid extremely well for disaster repairs. i really wouldnt worry about them.

 

[BUTCH1]

I feel bad for the power utility workers already putting in 12-18 hour days... another storm is the last thing they need, even if its relatively calm it doesn't make being in a cherry picker with high winds any easier...

Huh, if it's relativity calm there ARE no high winds, crews will not even attempt to operate in anything over 35MPH which makes common sense to me..

 

[BUTCH1]

um.. those guys chose their jobs for one, nobody is forced into that line of work... and also they get paid extremely well for disaster repairs. i really wouldnt worry about them.

True, they did chose that line of work but by attempting repairs in a bucket truck that bobbing around in high winds your putting yourself in a very dangerous situation, they will wait till the storm passes then get back after it. Yea, power restoration is important but they want to end their shift still alive, just like the rest of us..

 

[The Boston Dangler]

Huh.

How extraordinary? Are we talking 20 years until it's break-even, or never, or what?
Besides the cost of repairs themselves, there's the economic costs of downtime.

I guess a cheaper idea might be to keep the damn power lines away from the damn trees.

it would never break even. in large legacy systems, the cost of large-scale burial of power and communications would exceed replacing aerial lines every few years. and it would still be vulnerable, just a different bunch of problems and threats.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Huh.

How extraordinary? Are we talking 20 years until it's break-even, or never, or what?
Besides the cost of repairs themselves, there's the economic costs of downtime.

I guess a cheaper idea might be to keep the damn power lines away from the damn trees.

I take it you live in an area where there are very few trees.

 

[BUTCH1]

Huh.

How extraordinary? Are we talking 20 years until it's break-even, or never, or what?
Besides the cost of repairs themselves, there's the economic costs of downtime.

I guess a cheaper idea might be to keep the damn power lines away from the damn trees.

Very extraordinary, they were talking a big surcharge for many years as they will save some $$ by less frequent servicing but that's a tiny percentage vs the cost of burying all the lines. In a heavily urbanized area like NYC it would be even worse, you would need to jackhammer concrete or remove asphalt for every foot, in FL a lot would be done on "right of way" on everyone's front lawn..

 

[Jeff7]

I take it you live in an area where there are very few trees.

No, there are plenty of trees right next to the power lines here. My parents were without power for a few days because all the powerlines that feed the area are run through heavily-wooded areas. (Rural area there.)
As a result, high wind or ice storms damage power lines all over the place and it takes awhile to restore power.

I tend to favor functionality, efficiency, and effectiveness first, and then the looks come afterward. Everyone likes trees everywhere, and power everywhere, but everything quickly goes to hell when the power goes out.


Sucks that there don't seem to be any good solutions for the easily-damaged infrastructure. :\

 

[Printer Bandit]

hope you don't get rude awakening
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Earthquakes

better odds though

# people killed by earthquakes in CA vs. # people killed by storms, etc. in NE?