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[Chron/CenterPoint] : Millions of residents face another dark night

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout' started by Dr of Dunk, Sep 15, 2008.

  1. Dr of Dunk

    Dr of Dunk Clutch Crew

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    http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/6001814.html

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    Millions of residents face another dark night

    By LYNN COOK Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
    Sept. 15, 2008, 8:58PM


    Millions of residents endured a fourth night in darkness tonight as transmission companies continued to search for key equipment problems and crews focused on repairs that would provide electricity to the most customers at once.

    The electricity outage darkening most of the upper Texas Gulf Coast is the largest power disruption in the state's history, said Terry Hadley, spokesman for the Public Utility Commission of Texas.

    CenterPoint Energy reported that 1.56 million customers, 69 percent of its customers, still were without power as of 8 p.m.

    Hadley said that Entergy, which serves much of the north and east sections of the areas hit, is still assessing damage. Entergy said 383,871 of 395,000 Texas customers — 98 percent — still are without power.

    Texas-New Mexico Power Co., which serves communities near the hard-hit coastline including Angleton and Texas City, said 65,000 of its customers, 58 percent, are without electricity.

    A power customer may include several people, such as a household.
    Before the storm hit, CenterPoint and Entergy touted their mutual assistance program, which allows them to tap into crews from Maryland to California, bringing thousands of linesmen and tree trimmers into the area.

    As of today, 3,000 had arrived and not all had gone to work. Another 4,000 are expected to be working in the area by Wednesday.

    CenterPoint said some were still in transit, and others were ready to work but had to await damage assessments so they could receive work orders.

    Frustrated residents tried to call CenterPoint's main service line to check when their power would be restored. The calls snarled phone lines and most either couldn't get through or didn't get the answer they were hoping for.

    CenterPoint spokeswoman Melissa Ruiz says the company does not have specific neighborhood information yet. The company is trying to create an online map showing areas without power and estimating expected repair time, she said.

    "We're working on that. Our hope is to get that information in the next day or two," Ruiz said.

    In the meantime, patience is wearing thin for some people trying to understand why some neighbors have electricity and others are still in the dark.

    Sugar Land Mayor James Thompson said 50 percent of that city is still dark. Colony Bend on Grants Lake has light. Most of Sweetwater doesn't.

    CenterPoint officials say repair crews focus on the fixes that will restore power to the greatest number of customers in the shortest amount of time. That means repairing big feeder lines — the backbone of the distribution system — that can affect 1,000 customers or more.

    The line fuses, which connect 100 or more customers, are next in line for attention. Transformers, which affect about 10 customers, are next, followed by line drops to individual homes.

    On a regional level, restoring power is key to solving other hurricane-related problems, including gasoline shortages, fresh food supplies, ice and water issues.

    Reporter Eric Hanson contributed to this report.
     
  2. SWTsig

    SWTsig Contributing Member

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    no power here... whole neighborhood is still out.

    :mad:
     
  3. Th3 Drunk Goat

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    I left Spring (northwest houston) for Austin to stay with my sister. I hope they can restore power as soon as possible so i can start working again. I never dreamed this craziness would last so long.
     
  4. farrisdabis

    farrisdabis Member

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    Still no power in Quail Valley.
     
  5. VooDooPope

    VooDooPope Love > Hate
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    my street in Lakewood Glen in Cypress has power. My friend across the street still doesn't.

    Hit and miss. Neighbors help each outher out.
     
  6. LonghornFan

    LonghornFan Contributing Member

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    Part of the problem is that they do not have guy wire to put the poles back up and get electricity running. We were supposed to be on the "first to get power list" so we could give them the product, but somehow they forgot about us and they're VERY low on the wire needed. We make the wire so that you can get electricity, and with our plant still down without power I'd expect longer outages where power lines are down.

    Hopefully it will be fixed tomorrow, but half of our office staff have no gas in our cars thanks to the shortage of fuel and power outages, and many of our employees can't make it into work due to this.

    It's just an overall bad situation.
     
  7. JeopardE

    JeopardE Contributing Member

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    Just what I feared. Blown up transformers are low on the priority list. Looks like it's going to be at least one week without power for me. :(
     
  8. Mr. Brightside

    Mr. Brightside Contributing Member

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    If it makes you feel any better, my brother who lives in Columbus, Ohio said Ike knocked out the power in his apartment and surrounding areas, and they aren't supposed to get the power back for a full week.

    Apparently, the Ohio utility workers have all left to help over in the South, thus it will take them extra time to get the power back in their own area.

    I didn't even know Ike traveled that far north. It was one hell of an angry storm.
     
  9. IROC it

    IROC it Contributing Member

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    Unfortunately, he won't help with this set of problems.

    [​IMG]
     
  10. Ziggy

    Ziggy QUEEN ANON

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    F my life
     
  11. rockets > *

    rockets > * Member

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    you know whats wrong? half of my hood has electricity and half my hood does not. i am in the half that doesnt have electricity. its been like this for a day. anyone know why? Don't they work on it by zip codes?
     
  12. ChenZhen

    ChenZhen Contributing Member

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    where is that link from centerpoint that shows the current update on what part of houston has power and which one doesn't? The red/green dot map of all of houston...

    I've seen it posted here before but can't find it anymore...
     
  13. rrj_gamz

    rrj_gamz Contributing Member

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    A friend of mine in Pearland, in a newer neighborhood got power Saturday night...My parents, who live in an older neighborhood, are still w/o it...I think it has to do with what grid they're connected too...

    Same thing with my ex, who live in Pasadena off of Fairmont Pky/Beltway 8...the new part of the subdivision has power, but the ones that were first built don't...

    I'm just glad my kids are with me so they don't have to deal with that crap...

    My dad works for Centerpoint and he said Pasadena was really messed up...may be a while...
     
  14. finalsbound

    finalsbound Contributing Member

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  15. meggoleggo

    meggoleggo Contributing Member

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    You really should start reading the articles - they're really informational.

    The deal is, they're working on more impactful places first - hospitals, police stations, firehouses, gov't buildings first, then areas that will be most impacted next (areas by the thousands), then after that, they'll go on down the line(areas by the hundreds). Individual instances will be last on the list.
     
  16. meggoleggo

    meggoleggo Contributing Member

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  17. rhino17

    rhino17 Member

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    Still no power at my house in West U
     
  18. Supermac34

    Supermac34 President, Von Wafer Fan Club

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    I believe the majority of called in power help from around the country starts helping out today and tomorrow. I bet the numbers of people getting power starts jumping up pretty quickly.
     
  19. thelasik

    thelasik Contributing Member

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    no power in 77065.
     
  20. rockets > *

    rockets > * Member

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    Yeah, considering the fact that my house doesn't have electricity and my only means of internet is at school really gives me alot of time to read articles. Plus, half of my neighborhood has electricity and the other half DOES NOT. I dont see how this ties into the info. that you gave me.
     

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