Helene and electricity hazards:

[Stihl036]

Sometimes power lines are still hot when they are down and are a real threat to people clearing roads, etc.

A line may be down and off but it may suddenly come back on as power company workers reenergized the grid.

The grid has circuit breakers that try to reset three times(I believe this is a standard) and this often is a threat to workers who think a line is dead.

Also listen carefully for private generators running that may be back feeding the grid. Not all generator owners follow wiring codes.

I'm right in the path of Helene here in NE GA but she will be a tropical storm by then.

Rain saturated soil and wind is the perfect storm for trees blowing over.

You guys be careful out there.

 

[ammoaddict]

Sometimes power lines are still hot when they are down and are a real threat to people clearing roads, etc.

A line may be down and off but it may suddenly come back on as power company workers reenergized the grid.

The grid has circuit breakers that try to reset three times(I believe this is a standard) and this often is a threat to workers who think a line is dead.

Also listen carefully for private generators running that may be back feeding the grid. Not all generator owners follow wiring codes.

I'm right in the path of Helene here in NE GA but she will be a tropical storm by then.

Rain saturated soil and will is the perfect storm for trees blowing over.

You guys be careful out there.

Yes. We are predicted to get 6 to 15" of rain and 26 to 57 mph winds. I hope it goes farther west of us.

 

[hacskaroly]

Be safe!!

 

[greystone mountain man]

Yes. We are predicted to get 6 to 15" of rain and 26 to 57 mph winds. I hope it goes farther west of us.

We've got 6 inches since Monday and they are saying 3 to 5 more tonight with gusts up to 80 mph.

 

[ammoaddict]

Getting bad around here.

 

[greystone mountain man]

Getting bad around here.

Here too.

 

[Bill G]

About 15 years ago a young girl was killed near here after a storm took down power lines. Everyone thought they were dead but they were not.

 

[greystone mountain man]

Getting bad around here.

How you doing over there now?

 

[ammoaddict]

No power, no water, septic tank flooded, lots of trees down. It's a mess around here but we're ok. Probably won't have power for several days. You ok,?

 

[Dustin4185]

No power, no water, septic tank flooded, lots of trees down. It's a mess around here but we're ok. Probably won't have power for several days. You ok,?

What part of NC are you in? Upper East TN is a complete disaster. Erwin, Unicoi, Newport/Cocke County is basically wiped out. I26 and I40 are washed away in places and closed. Now they are saying the Nolichucky dam in Greene county is about to go.

 

[ammoaddict]

What part of NC are you in? Upper East TN is a complete disaster. Erwin, Unicoi, Newport/Cocke County is basically wiped out. I26 and I40 are washed away in places and closed. Now they are saying the Nolichucky dam in Greene county is about to go.

Western NC. About 75 miles east of Asheville.

 

[stgdz]

I learned this back in the 80's

 

[greystone mountain man]

I'm in Greene county the dam held but we only have one bridge getting across the river out of where I live.took the pump house out that feeds water to the county.ive got a well but my power is out.we are far enough off the river we are ok but some people that lived close to it was lost.

 

[Stihl036]

Step Potential

The down wire or electrified equipment has a voltage gradient around it like in the diagram. What can get you is the voltage between your two feet as you walk the area. This voltage difference caused a current flow through your body and you fall to the ground and it is all over. I remember being taught that if the equipment you are on is electrified that when you step from the equipment to the ground, that is when it gets you. We were taught to hop from the last step to the ground with both feet next to each other and continue to hop away is this fashion.

At a nearby college a dump truck in it's raised position had hit a low 13KV line on the campus. The tires of the vehicle caught fire and other parts were burning too. When the driver jumped he fell back against the truck and sat there and fried as students saw him from their classroom windows. Had he hopped he may have made it. Of course, maybe he wouldn't of made it.

Once fallen to the ground you are in real trouble. The diagram says to stay in the cab and that is the smartest thing to do.

But what if the cab is on fire?

I was in a bucket truck years ago (my private tree care company not doing up to date conduction testing) and a limb I had cut touched or arced to a live 13kv line. I was a part of a parallel path to ground as the limb was still partly attached to the tree and I got quite a shock. I felt the 60 hertz of the power line and dropped my saw involuntarily and where my waist touched the side of the bucket had very strong muscle cramps. Had that limb hung there instead of sweeping past I most likely would not be typing this message.

I've developed a keen interest in the subject.

Just a few days ago with the rains we got from Helene I saw five young kids having a great time in a rain swollen drainage swale beside a road near where I live. They were having a blast! Not ten feet from this rain swollen swale sat a green transformer tapping off of an underground line delivering 240v. to several houses. I'm sure that transformer was running at 13kv. or better dropping it to 240v.

The kids made out fine evidently as I didn't hear of any local electrocutions. The fear I felt comes back to me now sitting here typing. I see stuff like this quite often. (I rode on by pointing out the hazard to my wife)

Be safe out there.

Step Potential Around Power Lines

cornhusker-power.com

 

[Stihl036]

Some rather dramatic footage of a crane contacting a high voltage line.

My understanding is there were no injuries.

 

[morewood]

Live off Old Fort mtn. We had 20"+ of rain in 36 hours. Most roads are partially cleared. I 40 closed over Old Fort mtn due to compromised sections. Black MTN and Swannanoa (West side of mtns) hammered badly.

 

[morewood]

Do not travel this way. Multiple groups from multiple agencies are setting up distribution and triage areas. Some places still locked in. Mudslides are still an issue. I travel to Hickory/Lincolnton to get fuel and supplies for the community. Still have to clear a slide from my parents driveway to get to them. Have a jeep path knocked in for now.

 

[ammoaddict]

Live off Old Fort mtn. We had 20"+ of rain in 36 hours. Most roads are partially cleared. I 40 closed over Old Fort mtn due to compromised sections. Black MTN and Swannanoa (West side of mtns) hammered badly.

NC got hit worse than Florida. I'm in Caldwell county. The ceo at blue ridge electric said it was worse than Hugo. 90% power loss in our county alone. 50 or trees down on my road. I have 10 or more down that I can see. I know there's more beyond that. Power came back on late yesterday, had a big surge. Took out 2 surge protectors, took out the digital keypad on my kitchen stove, hauled it to the dump today. Took out the remote sensor in a ceiling fan, spectrum modem. It's a mess. I know it's much worse in the mountains. Hwy 16 bridge at Oxford dam is closed indefinitely. There were boats and docks going over the dam.
Good luck and stay safe.

 

[jblnut]

I’ve been watching you guys on the news getting hammered. Stay safe out there !!

 

[Creaky Limb T C]

Sending best wishes for a safe speedy return to normality from Wales UK