You know what? I am about out of patience with a lot of people.
I have had several phone calls today, and had many more last night from people wanting to know what the weather was going to be like. Today I went and jump started cars for people that never thought to start their own vehicles on and off as the weather was getting worse.
I spent Christmas Eve rescuing people trapped in a car that had no boots on, no heavy coats, no scarves and no gloves with them.
Over the last couple of days I have tried my best to get one thing across to people about power outages...
THEY HAPPEN.
Listen, my team presents hundreds of programs each and every year all over the country on disaster preparedness. We blog it. We broadcast on television stations and through newspapers we are partnered with. If you are stuck in the cold with nothing in your car today or sitting in your house with no groceries and a drifted road? Do not call me today. You do not want to hear what I have to say.
I saw a news story over Christmas with the headline "Bad Weather Cause Of Interstate Fatality".
This was a gross mis-statement on the part of the newspaper. If they had done their research, they would have seen that NDOR had been advising people all day to not travel on that Interstate. STUPIDITY was the cause of the death.
Power companies used to be a big target of mine. After all, 6 guys in a single truck for a single downed pole? Gimme a break, right? How hard can it be? And to really tick you off, they ALWAYS hook up your neighbor first and save you for last!
Yep, that was my opinion for years.
Three years ago I was fortunate enough to travel to North Carolina and spend a day with a crew of linemen after a tornado. We started out early in the morning and I pretty much figured we'd stand around all day.
4 hours later I wanted to go home. I could not believe how hard they worked! It took FOREVER to get one pole up because of the people that kept stopping to ask us to go to their house FIRST!
I spent the day with these guys. Hardcore is the only way I could describe them. When the day ended, the foreman said everyone could go home and nobody stopped!
"I'm not going home until these families have lights" one of them said to the boss.
Folks, our government and organizations like Chasing4Life, The Red Cross and others have been telling you for years to put together a home disaster kit. We've been telling you to put together a plan. We have been telling you that your survival is ultimately in your hands. We have been telling you that responders cannot get to EVERY house FIRST. We have told you the same thing about electric companies.
You know what we have?
Folks with no plan.
Folks driving in severe weather to the store because they have no supplies.
People out today in nothing but coats with no boots or gloves or scarves or hats.
People complaining about their power being out.
People banging flashlights on tables because the batteries are dead.
Smoke alarms with no batteries.
Cars with no survival kits in them.
Next week, when the wind dies down and the weather is a bit warmer, be smart. Go get a kit together for your home. Buy some batteries. Put jumper cables, water, some snacks and some clothing in your car. Buy a weather radio.
I realize some of you are out there doing it right, and for that, I apologize for the ranting. For the rest of you...quit being stupid.
Now, if you have another minute or two, check out this blog from Dawson Public Power in Nebraska. CLICK HERE
