Mid afternoon yesterday, a sudden and dramatic thunderstorm came up. First there were low rumblings of thunder and then POW!!!!!, such a crack of thunder and flash of lightning that it caused me jump, giving me a leg cramp. At least, it felt like a cramp---maybe I was struck??? Anyway, another flash and clap followed, speeding my decision to quickly get off the 'desktop' computer and away from the window.
It seems the major crash and flash took out our electric transformer, right outside our front doors on the pool side of the parking lot. All night long we waited for electricity to be restored, but it seems that the JEA people were stymied by the project. We were without power for 11 hours--- it would prove to be a long night!
My next door neighbor, Patti, not expecting we'd be out of power so long, had the Clay Fire and Rescue guys come, about three blocks, to carry her hubby in his wheelchair up the stairs. His nurse had taken him to therapy and then dinner, expecting by the time dinner was over that the electricity and elevator would be back. The firemen did a good job of it, and were glad to 'only' have to carry him two flights and not three, as they expected. Later, Patti thought maybe Jack and she should have gone to the hotel on the property, ground level, but who anticipated this?
Here is a shot from my balcony railing, looking down at the opened transformer. There was no obvious sign of having been struck by lightning so perhaps the better description might be 'affected' by the lightning. As you can see, it was still daylight when this was taking place.
Strangely, earlier in the evening, all the JEA folks had left the area (not yet on the property of The Palace), thinking the outage was fixed. Tracy called them later and got a live person to report to, indicating we were yet without power. The lady put Tracy on hold, then came back, confirming that yes, indeed, we were without power. NO! It seems no one from JEA realized the outage was more widespread, treating a fallen branch on Astor as being the culprit. It took many more hours and several trucks later to get the roof off the transformer pad, a crane to remove and then replace the transformers, and far too many of their workers seemingly standing about, not doing much to help. I am sure they are specific to their tasks, and I would have been great as a stander-arounder. In fact, I was!
Strangely, earlier in the evening, all the JEA folks had left the area (not yet on the property of The Palace), thinking the outage was fixed. Tracy called them later and got a live person to report to, indicating we were yet without power. The lady put Tracy on hold, then came back, confirming that yes, indeed, we were without power. NO! It seems no one from JEA realized the outage was more widespread, treating a fallen branch on Astor as being the culprit. It took many more hours and several trucks later to get the roof off the transformer pad, a crane to remove and then replace the transformers, and far too many of their workers seemingly standing about, not doing much to help. I am sure they are specific to their tasks, and I would have been great as a stander-arounder. In fact, I was!
More later!
