How is everyone managing with heat/power?

[partylessinOhio]

It is 93 here with heat index at 109 in the Greater Cleveland area. Yesterday the heat index was 107. The power went off briefly twice this afternoon. Then the lights dimmed once like a brown out. This tells me that there is a terrific drain on the power grid and we could be without power at some point.

How are others doing?

Here are some headlines on the heat:

1. New York declares emergency as heat wave bakes East Coast
AFP via Yahoo! News - 7 minutes ago
A heat wave that claimed more than 130 lives in California reached the US east coast, settling over the US capital and forcing New York City to declare a state of emergency for the first time.

2. US power grids say have enough power to weather heat wave
Reuters via Yahoo! News - Aug 01 8:09 AM
As people cranked up their air conditioners to escape a blistering heat wave for another day on Tuesday, power grid operators in the U.S. Northeast said the supply of generation was enough to meet the forecast record demand.

3. New York, Boston Broil as Heat Wave Hits East Coast (Update1)
Bloomberg.com - 47 minutes ago
Aug. 1 (Bloomberg) -- New York, Boston, Washington, and much of the U.S. East Coast are broiling today under temperatures that may top 100 degrees and threaten a New York power system damaged during a heat wave two weeks ago.

4. As Heat Wave Looms, N.Y. Reduces Energy Use
New York Times - Jul 31 10:12 PM
With a heat wave looming, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg hoped to avert a citywide version of the Queens blackout.

5. New York, Boston Brace for Record-Breaking Heat Wave (Update2)
Bloomberg.com - Aug 01 7:36 AM
Aug. 1 (Bloomberg) -- New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., and much of the U.S. East Coast will broil today under record- breaking temperatures that may top 100 degrees and threaten a New York power system damaged during a heat wave two weeks ago.

6. Cities Conserve Power Ahead of Heat Wave
ABC News - Aug 01 6:45 AM
Cities Around the Country Try to Conserve Power in Anticipation of Blistering Heat Wave

7. Heat wave pushes east, testing power grids
Reuters via Yahoo! News - Jul 31 5:54 PM
A punishing heat wave pushed power use in the U.S. Midwest to record highs on Monday and looks to do the same on Tuesday and Wednesday in New York and the Mid-Atlantic, power grid officials said.

8. U.S. East Prepares for Heat Wave; Emergencies Set (Update1)
Bloomberg.com - Aug 01 3:50 AM
Aug. 1 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. East Coast temperatures may top 100 degrees Fahrenheit -- 38 Celsius -- today as the heat wave that left the Midwest boiling over the weekend moves eastward.

9. East Coast braces for record heat wave
Baltimore Sun - 40 minutes ago
Triple-digit temperatures forecast; outage prompts evacuations in Chicago Lights that decorate the East River bridges were switched off to save power as the city braced for potentially record temperatures -- one of many conservation tactics as a stifling heat wave spread across the eastern half of the nation today.

10. Heat Wave Limits Bridge Lights at GWB
1010 WINS New York - 1 hour, 28 minutes ago
Officials will turn off the lights on the George Washington bridge to conserve electricity during the heat wave.

[pimpbot]

1. So far so good in MD

Power hasn't gone out yet.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. Are you able to get out to Lake Erie

or on some of the islands nearby? I've been to Cleveland once in my life, when I was seven, so my memory of the place isn't clear.

I live in a basement of a house cooled geothermally, so I'm doing well. So far, no power outages, but I have solar panels and a generator for backup.

[partylessinOhio]

10. Yes we do have Lake Erie and some islands to the west like Kelly's

Island. When I was able to go to the islands I remember it being very warm. When you get older and have health problems it is more comfortable to just stay at home. I have planted many trees, bushes and trumpet vines in my small yard so it is mostly very shady. I'll be fine if the power doesn't go out. The A/C in my old 93 car is barely cooling so I can't go out for groceries until we get some cooler weather. I don't tolerate heat too well and it's worse for me with makeup and dress clothes sitting in hot traffic.

Thanks for the suggestion though.

[proud patriot]

3. I feel for everyone , In California

we had a 12 day heatwave with temps above 100.

it was awful ...We had some days w/o power .
I took the dog and kid to the beach another
day ...Worked with kids in wheelchairs during
the day..

It was god awful , life became about staying cool .
spray bottles and fans proved helpful, when
air conditioners weren't available .

We had 100 degree temperatures at midnight one night .

Hugs to everyone :grouphug:

[ccpup]

4. Here in NYC

we're bakin'! But the power is still on and, thank God, I've got really good air-conditioning that I'm running at a reasonable level. My two pups are quite happy to lounge on the couch, half-asleep, waiting for the inevitable dinner bell. :-)

[AFSCME girl]

5. Hi partylessinOhio,

So far so good here in Southeastern Michigan ~ no power outages yet. The temp. was supposed to hit 97 today with a heat index of 110. Rain is predicted for tomorrow, which should break the heat....so says the weatherperson.

:hi:

[partylessinOhio]

14. Hi AFSCME girl! I used to be in the SEIU, son was in the Teamsters,

husband in Auto Workers and father, grandfathers, uncles in UMW. We were all union all the way!

We are supposed to have cooler days by Thursday. I hope we all get some welcome relief.

:hi: Waving back at ya!

[AFSCME girl]

33. Oh how cool!

I love to hear about my union brothers and sisters! I am leaving for the AFSCME Convention in Chicago on Saturday and I can't wait!

Yes, I hope we get some relief, too! These temps. hovering around 100 degrees are not fit for human nor beast!

:hi:

[MoseyWalker]

6. I'm movin' out

BILLY JOEL lyrics - "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)"


Anthony works in the grocery store
Savin' his pennies for someday
Mama Leone left a note on the door,
She said,
"Sonny, move out to the country."
Workin' too hard can give me
A heart attack
You oughta know by now
Who needs a house out in Hackensack?
Is that what you get with your money?

It seems such a waste of time
If that's what it's all about
If that's movin' up then I'm movin' out.

Sergeant O'Leary is walkin' the beat
At night he becomes a bartender
He works at Mister Cacciatore's down
On Sullivan Street
Across from the medical center
He's tradin' in his Checy for a Cadillac
You oughta know by now
And if he can't drive
With a broken back
At least he can polish the fenders

It seems such a waste of time
If that's what it's all about
If that's movin' up then I'm movin' out.

You should never argue with a crazy mind
You oughta know by now
You can pay Uncle Sam with overtime
Is that all you get for your money?

It seems such a waste of time
If that's what it's all about
If that's movin' up then I'm movin' out.

[debbierlus]

7. 95 out here in the Berkshires, MA.

Humid as all hell.

But, I have the air-conditioning going. So, I am nice and comfy living like a queen.

My dogs are on the floor in front of fans. Tough weather for American Eskimos!

[Igel]

8. Status quo in Houston.

Hot, humid, and typical.

We had transient brownouts and rolling blackouts back in the spring, when it got hot earlier than usual. It got warm early enough to strike during the usual PM cycle, and some plants were still off line.

[B Calm]

9. I turn my AC up to 85 during the day when no one is home. Early

evening we swim in the pond..

[Tsiyu]

11. Heat index of 98 today

No A/C here, so my power bill is only $70 this month but I'm kinda hot here.

No outages yet, just flickers. But TN has an awesome system and my local provider - Sequatchee Valley Electric Co-op - is the best power company I have EVER had.

SVEC: :yourock:

[deaniac21]

12. The Ozark glacier is melting.

[B Calm]

13. Here in Indiana it feels like we're living in a Tropical Rain Forest

[Mabus]

15. 104 but it feels like 109

We're handling it well.

We did installed some insulation inside around the windows last month. We also hung some garden shade cloth (like this stuff http://www.poly-tex.com/pages/accessories/shadecloth.html) on the outside of the windows with direct sun. It works. The tomato plants are burned to shit now but the house is a lot cooler. Before we put the shade cloth up the air conditioners were running almost continually. Now, we don't need to turn them on until late in the day, if even then.

[greguganus]

23. Is it the heat or the humidity? n/t

[Mabus]

31. humidity is in the mid-30's right now

so it isn't too bad. It has gone up 12% in the last hour though. We're supposed to get some rain later tonight. But the other night, it was hot and humid. We took the dogs for their last walk around midnight. It was around 80 and there was high humidity. It was downright oppressive for it being so late in the evening. By the time we got home after a 45 minute walk/work out with the dogs our clothes were soaked.

[partylessinOhio]

34. I looked at your link and can't visualize how you hung the shade cloth.

How did you attach it? Does it hang straight down vertically or at an angle like an awning? I'm not visualizing the hardware. I have other windows that could use this idea.

Last year I ordered two of these Coolaroo® Shade Sails. They also work very well.

..The New “Angle” On Cool Protection From The Sun!



http://www.improvementscatalog.com/Parent.asp?product=195276x

I also installed these solar mesh window shades on two windows on the frame between the prime window and the storm window.

http://www4.jcpenney.com/jcp/ProductsHOM.aspx?DeptID=25437&CatID=28540&CatTyp=DEP&ItemTyp=G&GrpTyp=SIZ&ItemID=0e04286&ProdSeq=4&Cat=roller&Dep=Window&PCat=&PCatID=28537&RefPage=ProductList&Sale=&ProdCount=11&RecPtr=&ShowMenu=&TTYP=&ShopBy=0&RefPageName=CategoryAll.aspx&RefCatID=28537&RefDeptID=25437&Page=1&CmCatId=25437|28417|28537|28540

[Mabus]

37. I cut it and hammered into place

Fortunately the length was long enough to cover the windows. I just put the cloth up, hammered it into place in the top corners and then cut the extra off. I got four windows worth out of that one cloth. I should have mentioned that we're in the process of scraping and painting so I didn't care how it looked because it will be down in a month or so. It actually doesn't look bad. The cloth is greenish black and it really isn't that noticeable from a distance.

[partylessinOhio]

41. Thanks. Are you going to install the cloth again after the painting?

If you screwed in a cup hook in the nail hole at each corner and then put grommets in each corner of the cloth, you could just snap the cloth off and on at the end of the season or to clean the window.

This shade cloth is a really good idea and I'm trying to devise a way to use it on my windows that face West and get the afternoon sun. Thanks, again!

:hi:

[Mabus]

49. Yes - definitely

It was over 100 when we put it up so we were in a bit of a hurry to get it done. The short of it is, I bought the cloth for my tomato plants and was using it for that purpose. On about the third or fourth day of 100+ temps last month it occurred to me that if I hung the cloth over the windows it might help cool down the house. So we did it as kind of an experiment and it worked. The temperature in our bedroom (which also faces west and has nothing to block the sun) dropped almost immediately.

I've been thinking since then how I could make them a more permanent part of the house. I was thinking of pulling out the sewing machine and adding a finished edge to the cloths to make sure they wouldn't fray in the weather. If I take your suggestion and add grommets in the corners I can then screw in some cup hooks so we can slip the covers on and off when needed. And I can do it year after year.

You know, I think we're on to something here! The cloths are having a lot of benefits. The house is cooler, the outdoor shades are not unattractive and they doesn't hurt visibility.

[cgrindley]

16. I have a beach house

So I run and jump in Long Island Sound. It's quite refreshing.

[ThoughtCriminal]

17. Some advice from Arizona

1 - drink plenty of cold water
2 - Keep freezer full of ice. If the power goes out, it will help keep everything cold and insure a good supply.
3 - When it gets unbearable, fill tub with water and soak.
4 - I keep a few chemical cold packs available for emergencies.
5 - My wife has sleep apnea and needs power for her CPAP. We have a battery pack that can run it and other low-power AC devices for at least 10 hours. I prefer this to a generator since it does not require gasoline storage, does not generate fumes, is reliable and quiet. Another emergency source is a AC inverter that plugs into the cigarette lighter of our vehicles. Again - this is for low power requirements (small fan, lamp, medical device) - not a refrigerator or an air-conditioner.

[MysteryToMyself]

18. We are paying dearly

Our Arkansas electric company added about a hundred dollar surcharge on the monthly bills and that is adding up over the year. The more you use the higher the surcharge. We are all electric so we really get hit.

We probably won't run out of electric, they are making too much money.

[AbbyR]

54. Also in Arkansas

I'm only air conditioning the bedrooms. Other than that, we sweat.

[greguganus]

19. We kickback in the HumVee with the AC on full blast watching DVD's n/t

[meganmonkey]

20. Oh, that'll help stop global warming

I really hope you're kidding.

[greguganus]

22. Why worry about global warming?

The rapture is coming soon!

[meganmonkey]

25. I wish

Then there'd be a lot more room for the rest of us. :)

[greguganus]

28. You can have my hummer. n/t

[meganmonkey]

30. Have a safe trip

I'll park it in my backyard and plant some flowers in it.

:hi:

[greguganus]

32. Could you collect my mail while I'm gone? Thanks. n/t

[TechBear_Seattle]

21. 73 in Seattle today

I'm thinking it's time to break out with the short pants. :hi:

[RufusEarl]

24. Typical summer day here in N. Texas, @ 100

add @ 70% humidity and it get very sticky fast. We do have reliable electric grid, i guess that's a plus until the electric bill comes due.

[SmokingJacket]

26. Luckily, it should only be a day or two more.

This Eastern heat wave is getting more attention than it deserves, imho, because of California's insane 12-day roast. It gets in the high nineties here at least once or twice a summer. No biggie.

[MrSlayer]

27. We have good infrastructure in Philly.

Not even placing a strain on our power here. The suburbs were fucked a couple of weeks ago but the city proper is fine.

[TX-RAT]

29. business as usual

we get this kind of heat for several months a year

[B Calm]

35. $30.00 homemade air conditioner

http://www.lifehacker.com/software/diy/make-your-own-air-conditioner-181510.php

[karlrschneider]

36. It hit 104 (actual temp) here a couple hours ago (NE Okla)

Power has been okay out here but we can see the big 400,000 volt transmission lines across the field
vibrating. They have to be at the very limit of their current capacity. Plus zero rain for
6 weeks. It's miserable.

[laylah]

38. Here in the

QCA of Illowa, it was 110 heat index today. These past few days have been brutal. The air has been on at 75 and we have rigged an outside shower to be "efficient" and wow, does it feel good! Cold wave tomorrow, only in high 80's.

Jenn

[MercutioATC]

39. The Illuminating Co. is initiating rolling blackouts in the 'burbs...

I'm in Westlake, and we're on the list.

What I wouldn't give for a power company that could actually do what I pay it to do...provide power.

:grr:

[partylessinOhio]

44. Hi Westlake! Where is the list for the rolling blackouts?

I found this at Newsnet5:

Power Companies To Decide If More Rolling Blackouts Needed
Officials Say Heat Causing Breakers To Malfunction

UPDATED: 8:14 am EDT August 2, 2006

CLEVELAND -- Utility managers in northern Ohio will be watching Wednesday to see if more rolling blackouts are needed to prevent widespread outages due to heavy air conditioner use.

FirstEnergy was working to restore power to about 6,500 customers Wednesday morning. The power was cut as a preventive measure to avert widespread blackouts.

Cleveland Public Power was working around the clock to try to restore power to Old Brooklyn. A power outage was affecting 2,500 customers.

A company representative said the excessive heat and humidity is causing circuit breakers and transformers to malfunction.

Power was also shut off to customers in Westlake and North Olmsted to prevent equipment overload.

Businesses at the Promenade Shopping Center in Westlake had to close at about 7 p.m. Residents looking to cool off at the movies also got turned away. The businesses hope to reopen Wednesday.

Smaller outages occurred near Akron and Chardon due to electric equipment failures.

FirstEnergy is asking customers to limit their usage between the hours of 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Waiting to do things such as dishes and laundry can help keep the power on for others.

Today "feels" worse than yesterday. The heat index is at 98 at 10:45 am. I would hope that no homes would be without power and sympathize with you in Westlake.

:hi:

[MercutioATC]

50. My A/C was out on Sunday and Monday...

...got it fixed at about 3:00pm on Tuesday (they had to order parts). My house was at 90 degrees (inside) for two days.

I was on my way home from a midnight shift this morning at about 6:30 and I heard the announcment on the radio. They listed the cities involved, but Westlake was the only one I paid attention to.


Have I mentioned how much I hate FirstEnergy?

[Blue Diadem]

40. They closed factories here to conserve

www.wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=5228463

Power Problems Lead to Shutdowns for Toledo-Area Factories

TOLEDO -- Power providers are doing their best to generate enough juice and reduce demand for electricity during these sweltering summer days. Several factories in the Toledo area shut down temporarily on Tuesday afternoon as part of a region-wide effort to save power. That prevents utilities like Toledo Edison from having to shut off residential customers.

Toledo Edison did have to pull the plug at the Libbey Glass plant in north Toledo. Libbey is considered to be an "interruptable customer," meaning Edison can request a shutdown to ease the pressure on the power grid. Two-thirds of the plant's 1,100 workers were sent home.

snip:

North Star Steel in Delta stopped its production of flat rolled steel coils at noon on Tuesday, also to conserve power. More than 300 employees there were on stand-by, waiting for the go-ahead to resume work.

Just when these manufacturing centers will be back on-line is anyone's guess at this time. That all depends on just how long the hot weather puts a severe strain on the power grid.

[RebelOne]

42. Right now it is 83 in the Atlanta area, but here's the forecast

from a local TV station's Web site.

"Very hot again today. Highs will be in the mid to upper 90s. Heat index levels in some areas will be 105-110. Metro Atlanta will be in the 100-104 range. Chance of cooling rain this afternoon is only 20%. More heat for tomorrow. Temperatures will drop a little by the weekend, when we have a 30-40% chance of showers."

I cope with the heat by going from my air-conditioned home to my air-conditioned car to my air-conditioned office and vice versa in the afternoon.

[KittyWampus]

43. Anyone who cranks their air conditioners is an asshole. I don't have air

conditioning and am dealing with this...

but there's no excuse for idiots who have their air conditioning on already but then BLAST it when it's this hot.

Hello?

The fucking energy grid fries and NOONE has electricity.

Morons.

I'm so hot I'm cranky.

[partylessinOhio]

46. I don't have A/C either and I'm cranky too with a headache today.

How can people crank it up and have a higher electric bill? I guess some don't have to worry about the cost.

My hint: turn off lights which produce heat and add to the problem.

Take care and move around slowly and only when necessary to stay cool as possible.

:hi:

[Bridget Burke]

45. Houston's forecast highs for the next 10 days--80's to mid 90's...

We've been having lots of clouds & a shower or 2 each day. Yes, it's humid. But this has been an easy summer, so far.

[warrens]

47. Suffering, but the power still works

Unfortunately, my little window AC can't deal with 100 degrees, particularly since my apt. is more or less open-plan. Last night was a new low in misery, but the heat wave is supposed to break this evening, and tomorrow's high is supposed to be 80.

The south side here in Chicago lost power yesterday, and hundreds of people had to be evacuated from some of the lower income high rises. They sent most of them to McCormick Center until they could get the power turned back on. I sort of had a flashback to Katrina, with thousands of people stranded at the convention center there.

[ellie]

48. Hey partyless!

It's hot than hell here in Toledo, but the power is still on, thank god. We have central A/C, so it is cool. We have unplugged all non-essential electronics and I did the laundry at midnight the other night to conserve and to not tax the grid. I can't wait until this heat wave is over. I like the heat, but this is ridiculous. Walking outside the door is like walking into a blast furnace. My poor puppy can't understand why we won't take him for a walk. It's too hot, even at 11 p.m.!

[partylessinOhio]

53. Hi, Ellie in Toledo! The heat is like walking into an oven. You have some

good ideas there to conserve energy. Some people are still walking their dogs but I wouldn't advise that.

A boy died yesterday in football practice. That is crazy, practices should be cancelled.

Our troops in Iraq face even higher temperatures and have to wear their protective gear and helmets. I don't know how they are coping.

91 here now with 103 heat index at 1pm. Forecast for tomorrow is 81 and showers.

:hi:

[H2O Man]

51. On days like these .....

[im10ashus]

60. You HAD to go and rub it in, didn't you?

:-)

Looks real refreshing.

[DemoTex]

52. It's hotter than a snake's ass in a wagon rut!

Adrian Cronauer (Robin Williams): What's the weather like out there?

Roosevelt E. Roosevelt (Robin Williams): "It's hot! Damn hot! Real hot! Hottest things is my shorts. I could cook things in it. A little crotch pot cooking."

Adrian: Well, tell me what it feels like.

Roosevelt: "Fool, it's hot! I told you again! Were you born on the sun? It's damn hot! It's so damn hot, I saw little guys, their orange robes burst into flames. It's that hot! Do you know what I'm talking about?"

Adrian: What do you think it's going to be like tonight?

Roosevelt: "It's gonna be hot and wet! That's nice if you're with a lady, but ain't no good if you're in the jungle!"

Adrian: Thank you, Roosevelt.

Adrian (imitating Walter Cronkite): "I just want to begin by saying to Roosevelt E. Roosevelt, what it is, what it shall be, what it was. The weather out there today is hot and shitty with continued hot and shitty in the afternoon. Tomorrow a chance of continued crappy with a pissy weather front coming down from the north. Basically, it's hotter than a snake's ass in a wagon rut."

The best weather riff in films, ever. From Good Morning, Vietnam! And yes, here in South Carolina it is hotter than a snake's ass in a wagon rut.

[Control-Z]

55. How is everyone managing with heat/power?

Apparently not very well. I paid my electric bill last night - it was $790.00 for one month in So Cal. I guess I need to look for more economical ways of cooling off.

[hedgehog]

58. Wow - that's more than I've ever paid for gas & electric in Upstate New Yo

and we've had some cold winters. It's so wierd, I went to the dentist today after hardly any sleep from the heat and made my next appointment for February. I was wondering if the roads would be open early enough to make the appointment or if there'd be a snow delay!

[kwyjibo]

56. $190/month to keep my place cool

Our a/c is about to die though, so hopefully the electric bill will go down after it's replaced.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

57. 63 in Portland/Vancouver 78 expected as the high.

Cooler where we live, in the hills north of Vancouver. We had a few days of 100+ temps about a week ago.

My sympathy to the sufferers.

[jrd200x]

59. 100 degrees in Michigan. I'm down at the beach

the lake is nice when it's 100.

[noonwitch]

61. I'm an energy hog, and am running my a/c full blast

I'm a peri-menepousal woman, it's my perogative.

[partylessinOhio]

62. Good morning! It has begun to RAIN here in my little suburb of Cleveland.

It is 84, 76% humidity, and heat index is 92 at 10:30am. It is a very light rain so don't know if this will cool us off or become warmer when the sun comes out.

Hope everyone gets some relief from the heat today.