Areas Already Hit By Ice And Power Outages

[Phil Lilley]

I've already talked to Rusty in NE Oklahoma and they are without power and expect to be without for at least a week. If there are others, you might let us know.

[Kansas Fly Fisher]

Erie is doing okay. We didn't get hit near as bad as the southern areas. My mom lives in Baxter Springs and has been without power since yesterday afternoon. Not sure when they expect it back on. It appears that the farther north you go the ice stayed on the roads but the southern areas had more ice in the trees and on power lines.

John

[The Caddis]

It's a mess down here in OKC. I live in a town out west of OKC and there are only about 8 streets with power, lucky for us we live on one. We have in-laws staying with us who don't have power. Trees are down everywhere, a co-worker had a large oak tree fall on her house and knocked it loose from the foundation, punctured the roof in many places and opened holes in the exterior walls.

[SteveP]

I live in Saint Joseph just north of KC and we have been without power for almost 24hrsand counting now had to cut tons of trees to get out to come to work and now figuring where the wife and kids are going to take a bath/shower that has hot water. Have good fireplace so we've moved all the matreses to the living room and are burn it strong and playing lots and lots of go fish!!!! Had a good stew for dinner (cook in the fireplce in the dutch oven) and are actually having a good time with it all. Hope all those in OK are doing well and making it easy enough.

Steve

[Rusty]

I have power finally, and limited internet, so I am making this a quick one. See ya.

[JobyKSU]

Power at the house in Manhattan, KS is still out (48 hours). As of yesterday morning there were 16,000 without power (after the storm). As of this morning, it was over 17,000. Doh!

They replaced two transformers within sight of the house, and one of them blew up about 4 hours later (pretty blue and green lights for Christmas). Checking Westar's website, they currently have gotten the number down to about 11,000 without.

I'm pretty certain that I'm about to lose the aquarium. Air temp in the house is under 40, and you can only stir the water so much to get DO levels up. Neighbors have started to get power, but we're not so lucky, yet.

[The Caddis]

We're thawing out, still over 500,000 customers without power, which is about 1.2 million people. They are saying 10 days or more, and the forcast is for 4 to 7 inches of snow this weekend.

[JobyKSU]

Whew... power's back on at the Manhattan, KS homestead.

Total damage includes deck railing, about 8 feet of cedar fence, and 10 assorted tropical fish.

The aquarium isn't a complete loss. My nephew won a little comet goldfish about 5 years ago which quickly outgrew the 2 gallon "tank" that it came with (those things should outlawed for anything other than betas). He wasn't ever extremely happy with the 75 degree water, but he survived the drop to at least 38. I may still have two plecostomus (plecostomi?). They haven't shown themselves, but I'll go searching for them later.

The most depressing loss was an 8-inch texas cichlid. He was almost 10 years old and had a great fish personality (I know he was just looking for food, but still!)