Tropical Storm Erika

Day 3 and still no power....

It gets real old, real fast when you're doing without power for months on end.

I was WAPA-less for 6 months after Marilyn and what I found interesting, in retrospect, was how adaptable and innovative one becomes when faced with the challenge. When power was finally restored it was a weird feeling, hard to explain.

It gets real old, real fast when you're doing without power for months on end.

I was WAPA-less for 6 months after Marilyn and what I found interesting, in retrospect, was how adaptable and innovative one becomes when faced with the challenge. When power was finally restored it was a weird feeling, hard to explain.

Hope it was something like: "Ahhhhhhhhhhh"

Novanut, it was wonderful having power back after months of lugging and hauling gas, fiddling with generator, etc..

The best thing was the silence that came with not having to listen to the constant roar of generators, 24/7, whether it was yours or your neighbors. It certainly was an Ahhhhhhhh moment for me, a long anticipated and very welcomed one, at that!

Looks like a little welcomed rain here with this tropical wave.

Hope it was something like: "Ahhhhhhhhhhh"

If it were, that wouldn't be hard to explain. 😀

Still no power here! I've e-mailed, attempted phone calls, etc...I just want an updated status report.

Very frustrated!

Current back on @ 6:30 PM last night, ahhhhh!

Current back off @ 7:30 PM last night ahhhhhhh s**t!

Back on generator till 10 PM went down to switch it to off and before I could the transfer switch shut it down and VIOLA, current!!!!!

Been on since, top of Rattan.

CD

Still no power here! I've e-mailed, attempted phone calls, etc...I just want an updated status report.

Very frustrated!

I'm sure it's frustrating.

Here's a link stating that power should be fully restored today and phone, website in for WAPA!
http://viconsortium.com/featured/wapa-fails-to-complete-power-restoration-in-st-croix-on-saturday-hodge-promises-sunday-completion/

Reminds me of an old saying.
"The Lord said, let there be light. WAPA said, not a chance!"

To be fair, WAPA got things back up and running for the majority of STX pretty quickly. If they'd only do year round maintenance and cut overhanging branches and trees back from their poles, there might be less damage when we get these storms.

Still no power here! I've e-mailed, attempted phone calls, etc...I just want an updated status report.

Very frustrated!

I'm sure it's frustrating.

Here's a link stating that power should be fully restored today and phone, website in for WAPA!
http://viconsortium.com/featured/wapa-fails-to-complete-power-restoration-in-st-croix-on-saturday-hodge-promises-sunday-completion/

Reminds me of an old saying.
"The Lord said, let there be light. WAPA said, not a chance!"

To be fair, WAPA got things back up and running for the majority of STX pretty quickly. If they'd only do year round maintenance and cut overhanging branches and trees back from their poles, there might be less damage when we get these storms.

It can get frustrating for an extended period of time. I know here in Florida I see the power companies out all the time trimming back trees from power lines and still they cause issues. I actually hate the look of some of the trees that have this gaping space in the middle of them for the lines to go through but I know it is necessary. Still after tropical storms we end up with power out. The longest I know of friends going without power is a week though.

I live in a flood zone. I'm on a second floor condo/apt so it's not a problem with my home, but often I can't get out of here. I live almost as far south as I can in S. Tampa and surrounded by water on three sides. There have been times when there is absolutely zero avenue out of here north (since north is my only choice) and sometimes it is just due to a normal summer rain. Looks like we have a lot of rain coming here from Erika even though it is all broken up, still looking to deliver us a lot of rain.

My mom cancelled her trip here for my birthday afraid she won't be able to drive back out north. My daughter had to go to the hospital a few weeks ago and we were stuck. Her dad had to come get us in his big Jeep and we ended up having to walk through knee high water to him because traffic was so bad due to stranded cars he couldn't get to us. Wish I could post a pic but can't figure out how to do that on this forum.

On another note: Feeling sad for the people of Dominica right now. I visited that island last year and just loved it. Loved the rain forest and the natural setting, the waterfalls and rivers that are now causing them so much trouble. People were wonderful there too. Wish I could fly down and help with the clean up. Hoping all of you who still don't have power see it restored soon. I know when we have lost power my kids used to enjoy board games by candlelight. That was when they were little!!

Off to buy some food in case I can't go anywhere tomorrow. Love this board. Learning so much about the islands just from reading.

Back off at 3am. IT WAS ONLY SPRINKILING! PISSED. This is completely absurd!!!! There is NO reason for this outage for THREE DAYS! I don't know if it's the tree limbs or the lines are old or not connected right or maybe just the AHole hodge with NO preventive measures but STT in my 2.5 years we never had a three day outage. EVER. We got 8 inches of rain on one day and when the edge of Gonzalo hit us its was pretty much the same conditions as Erika and power wasn't out long and then they had the sense to do the rolling black outs - at least letting people's fridges cool and people to shower and function on some level.

I AM FURIOUS.
Between this and the shooting at subway, the home invasion where they cracked the guy over the head with their gun and not one but TWO. Of my new friends cars stolen last night... One next to a freaking POLICE station.... I am REALLY missing STT.

Agreed. VERY frustrated, We drove around all morning trying to find WAPA trucks...just to talk with anyone. Nobody had a clue about what area they were working. When we finally spoke with someone, they seemed dumbfounded that we still didn't have power. We still have lots of lines and poles down in our area...and haven't seen one WAPA truck.

And, we haven't seen one police car patrolling either. No phone service, no internet, no power. That spells trouble. We have seen quite a few 'suspicious' vehicles driving slowly and lurking around lately. As soon as we step out of our house, or the dogs bark, they speed off.

Enough of my ranting for now...

I AM FURIOUS.
Between this and the shooting at subway, the home invasion where they cracked the guy over the head with their gun and not one but TWO. Of my new friends cars stolen last night... One next to a freaking POLICE station.... I am REALLY missing STT.

And yet most people posting here want to move to St Croix. Your post might change their minds.

It is absurd that there are still people with no power on STX - I am so sorry for those of you suffering...
AandA2VI, I can't recall the years of Otto and Omar (one was 2008, the other, 2010??) however, I was living on STT and did not have power for 5 days with 1 and 7 days for the other. I was Botany Bay for the 2008 storm and Northside (Upper Caret) for the other. It does happen, unfortunately. I do believe that STX gets ignored and the short end of the stick for many things and it simply should not be. This island should be given just as much importance as STT and STJ!
Hoping you all get power back today...

After Omar, we were without power for 6 for days in my location. It wasn't a bad storm here as it could have been, lots of leaf litter and rain but no damage structurally to anything.

I love my generator but listening to it for that length of time brings
on PTSD for me and reminders of Hugo and Marilyn.

Get yourself a nice little gas powered generator but if you're going to spend money on one, get at least a 5000 WATT one that really can run more than a water pump and refrigerator. Hand washing a ton of laundry for 2 persons is no fun, months on end.
1200 watts is to small, IMO.

And find someone reliable to maintain it and show you how to run it and maintain it yourselves when using. My maintenance guy is boat mechanic/engineer and comes once a year, prior to hurricane season, if and when I have a problem.

One thing you learn living here is you can't depend on WAPA.
They have numerous outages thruout the year without the excuse
of tropical storms.

I AM FURIOUS.
Between this and the shooting at subway, the home invasion where they cracked the guy over the head with their gun and not one but TWO. Of my new friends cars stolen last night... One next to a freaking POLICE station.... I am REALLY missing STT.

And yet most people posting here want to move to St Croix. Your post might change their minds.

Well that all did happen in the last three days. Not sure your point. Don't shoot the messenger... Or maybe you're saying newbies should take that into account? Confused on your tone here.

STX wannabes might want to take your post into account.

AandA2VI

A 5000 watt generator will allow you to use the water heater (cold showers get old), water pump, have light, watch TV or internet,
keep your refrigerator cold and do laundry if you just use water pump and use washing machine and unplug all else.

It's nice to have some semblance of normalcy in trying times.

Chain your generator to the house!

After Marilyn, we were at Bottoms Up in Independent Boat Yard, having a drink before heading home when generator stopped.
The bartender went to refill tank only to discover someone had come, put generator in back of their truck and drove off!

Luckily, every single person at the bar had a flashlight but pretty brazen thieves. Had other friends come home to find theirs gone as well.

After Omar, I was without power for over 30 DAYS on STX!!!!! 😮
Only 24 hrs after Erika with short power outages since as WAPA repair the lines.
Here's hoping everyone has power soon.

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This is the problem. This is not new growth. Half the poles here look like this. Maybe they do on STT - I never noticed but also never had three days with no power.

I had to get out of the house and read that if you go here http://www.viwapa.vi/Customers/ReportAProblem.aspx

You can report the outage BUT you can also report the lines going into your neighborhood. On each pole there's a silver ID tag. Put that and your address in the address line. That should help them find the pole. The pole going into my hood is Fed. Two other poles down just before my block too. I have no hopes of power tonight.

Just went into town and ate at Wendy's for the first time in three years. So gross and all I had was a baked potato and a salad.

STX is definitely the most "third world" of the islands. But some people prefer it for just that reason (not me lol).

LOL not me either at this point!! I don't think Id call it third world but rustic... yes, for sure. Im still in the STT pace of life too - I dont know if I will adjust here. Trying but not having a water job and not knowing people is really getting me down. Im working on both.

Power is BACK on but who knows for how long. I am CERTAIN that the only reason it came on was because I was so pissed I drove to HD and ordered a $650 generator! Alana I took your advice and did a 5,000w. There a handyman guy who works/lives in the neighborhood and Ill have him give me a crash course... he clearly has a generator as Ive heard it going for the last three days.

I am rushing around prepping for it to go out again as all the lines and poles that have been down are still down. Its NICE to type on a keyboard vs my cell phone. Sorry IDK why those pics didn't post.

Just some of the lines in trees and the downed lines at my house.

One big storm an this is down. Not even rooted deep I assume.

Yea who knows where this goes.

IDK how to tell electrical from phone lines.

Oh man. She's goin.

The rest is on the ground.

My personal favorite.. the main line into our neighborhood. WTF.

The drama is exhausting. What on earth will be the reaction when and if something REALLY bad happens?

That looks like some of the power lines out in Botany Bay. Living out there, though absolutely beautiful, was sort of like living on a different island. Whenever power was out or our phone line didn't work (which would happen EVERY time it rained!), I would call WAPA or Innovative to tell them where - every single time, the person on the other end of the phone would say, "Wha?? Where?? No one lives out there!" Ummm, yes...we DO live out here!! Cell service was non existent, too - we had to drive to the front gate (1 mile from our cottage) to get a cell signal...that was still iffy. Apparently, it hasn't changed much out there in the past 8 years either. That stuff may be few and far between on STT compared to STX, but believe me, it still exists!

Are you referring to my posts OT?

WAPA Fails To Complete Power Restoration In St. Croix On Saturday; Hodge Promises Sunday Completion

Nice to see they still have the funnies in the Sunday paper.

I guess better start taking pics of all those poles I see normally leaning over and report them to WAPA.