I am so sorry for all the hard, hard grief you have had to endure. I agree..

when is enough, enough for people? I wish I had something to tell you that

would make you feel better, but obviously, right now, I 'm not sure there

is anything. Please hang in there somehow...I know that sounds easy, and

I do know it can be impossible. When I hear of these happenings so many

of you are having, over and over, I am ashamed for feeling sorry for

myself over some of the things we all are enduring. I am just so sorry.

Can send you hugs...and they are meant with all my heart. And, a whole

lot of people do care.

News just said 120,00+ this morning. SIGH!!!!!

Wow...that's a real insult to injury. And all those food stores going bad. How awful. I'm so sorry. Hang tough rob!

I'm so sorry for all the aggravations piling up, enough is enough.

I am so sorry for all of the hard times that you and our other neighbors in the Nashville area have had to endure. Uptown Gal's beautiful response touched my heart. We all care and hope that things will be better soon.

Wow, if it isn't one thing it's another. I feel horrible thinking of the (scarce) food going to waste. People trying to get ahead then boom.

I guess another thing we have to worry about now are murder hornets.

I hadn't heard ... wow that is a string of hard events. Hang in there, stay safe.

I'm sorry. That really sucks.

Well, isn't that a kick in the head! Hope things are better tomorrow and the next day and the next.

Rob...I'm so sorry. I had no idea Nashville was getting hit. I've stopped watching the news on a daily basis. Too depressing.....and I'm working on my house. I live in an area where 90% of us have back up generators due to heavy snow storms.....that occur once every 10 years. Send that weather over to us!

That really sucks. At least it’s not freezing cold outside. There are times when you don’t know whether to laugh or cry.

I am so sorry, Rob. I wish there was more we could do, especially being so close yet so far. Uptown Gal said it so well. Hopefully power will begin to come back soon, and perhaps services from the surrounding areas can come in to help. Hope you have power back soon! Hang in there!

Remember, every day we are one day closer to this being over.

((((((Rob)))))).

I too am very sorry that you are in the situation. I hope it all gets straightened out as quickly and painlessly as possible.

I wish crying uncle were all you had to do.

Rob, I'm so sorry. We treated ourselves to sleeping in a little this morning and I haven't had news on today, was trying to give myself a break. These Spring and Summer storms are surreal to me, living where we typically only might have them them in Fall and Winter. Our power was out for two hours one evening last week and we still don't know why. It's the first time since we've lived in this house (more than 7 years) that we've been without power....it was right about dinner time and so inconvenient. What a wuss I am any more.

Even little things out of our control are so difficult these days, I am heartsick that you are having to deal with a big one on top of all else. Please, just hang in there, and maybe they'll make some progress and get a great number of areas restored by later today. And vent away whenever you want....it's not like we're going anywhere and don't have time to listen (read).

Rob333, do you personally still have power? Are you on internet with a computer or phone? Will you need to find a way to re-charge? I have meant for the longest time to get a solar charger for phone, but just keep forgetting. The need can be real.

I especially thank you for bringing this up, because I had not heard, and I have family there!

Hopefully, freezers will not defrost before the power comes back on. A full freezer stays cold longer and if you don't open it at all, will survive a few days of no electricity.

I'm sorry that you and your city have one more thing on top of everything else to deal with, rob. It's times like these that I fall back on something that has got me through tough times before - one day at a time, one hour at a time, one minute at at time if that's what it takes. Best wishes to you.

I happened to be looking at the weather radar Sunday to see what was heading toward us. As I zoomed out I saw a blob of color over Tennessee that had the characteristic parenthesis shape of a deracho like the one that roared through here several years ago. (2010 IIRC)

Our power was out for several days, and some people we know were without power for a week and a half.

Rob, this is awful news. I know sometimes it just seems like too much, but the sun will shine again. The picture of the man wiping tears away as he looks at his home divided in half from a fallen tree was heartbreaking yet all I could think of was thank God he and his wife weren't there when the tree fell. This pandemic has taken its toll on all of us. I talk to my friends and family but I would like to be with them. I have to remind myself that I'm lucky to have a roof over my head, am not worried about losing my job and having no income and I have food in the house. We just have to get through these trying times as best we can and look forward to a better tomorrow. Hug that son of yours......to heck with social distancing. :-)))))

Rob, worst timing in the world. Hope your electricity is still on. It’s a cruel world these days.

Rob, I am glad you are all ok. This storm was supposed to hit my area, and veered south, and hit you instead. I am located straight above Nashville. So sorry, you are having all that loss again, and made worse by this virus stuff.

Oh, don't bother with a little vent. You are entitled to a full Rant.

P.U. Robb - that stinks. No words of wisdom but these: pretend it's Bloody Mary Day, get back in your PJs and take the day off!

Y'all are the best! I feel better from your words

My home wasn't hit, which is great because my son had to submit finals online this week. His roommate (also lives in Nashville, though school is in East Tennessee), didn't fare as well. He's going to his dad's office to submit. Traffic lights are out, businesses were and are out. It's only an inconvenience for me. My workmates are without power at their homes. They too are traveling to offices, like son's roommate, to recharge and work. I think it puts them at higher risk, so I'm worried for them.

I'm so ready to get back up and running. I feel like it might have been divine intervention since the governor opened our state too soon. This is a big city and we need a lot longer since our cases are still climbing. Maybe this is a good thing.

Woohoo it's down to 62,000 without power! Progress

What a mess! Glad you're not suffering too badly, but woe for everyone who is 😟

2020 is turning out to be a horrific year...

Sad to hear that you're having this more trouble to deal with, rob. Additional and multiplied inconveniences and pain add more incrementally than each dealt with one by one.

It is rather encouraging that the numbers of homes without power have gone down substantially.

Are you going to work, or do you have free time - or do some of your friends have such?

Here's an idea:

a) give nicole a call to find whether their generator may be installed or portable,

b) if portable, and they don't expect to need it in the near future ... might it be possible to beg, borrow, rent ... (or steal?) ... it for a few days,

i) with the proviso that, should they need it, they'll have your phone no. to provide for immediate return?

c) if they can make the generator available - do they have extension power cords?

d) if their generator not available, would they help you find one among their friends?

Fill the generator with fuel. Same for your car or truck.

Get some masks, wipes and hand cleaners for self, cable ends, etc.

Go to an area where it's evident that there's no power, ring some doorbells (ha? ha! - listen to hear whether they're working: if not, knock).

When you hear steps approaching - back off 8 feet.

Ask the householder whether they need some power for their freezer or fridge to save their food.

If they say "Yes - how much do you charge?" ...

... the answer's up to you.

Take care to sanitize cable ends, handled by the householder and going into his house, if he lacks such cables to bring to door.

Unhook and leave when the compressors cut off.

Keep track of where you've been and when and return once or twice a day as indicated.

Some years ago when I did such, following a widespread ice storm in early spring, I said that there was no charge, as my church congregation was paying me and it was a free service from them.

Some insisted of giving something; I used some for gas for generator (and car - I was 20 mi. from home: I had power at home, and nearby).

When I offered some to the owner of the generator (he was a Presbyterian - I of the United Church of Canada) and he said to give it to his church, in a village nearby, I said that he should do that himself - that he went there softener than I did! ((automatic amender of my story is busy, again, I see! ))

The part that went to my church was as a gift from me: benefitted me the next year at tax time.

One freezer was in a back porch, covered in coats. When we'd hooked up the generator and lifted the lid ... some berries sitting on an aluminum plate on top had ice crystals on them - somewhat more than two days after the power'd gone off: mild days in early spring._________

Good wishes to you and loved ones through the difficult days ahead, rob (but hope it doesn't turn out to be anything like 333 of 'em)!

ole joyfuelled ... who sometimes has gas

46714.... getting there

sad so many are still without, but it sounds so much better? But there you have it

joyful....I wish Rob lived near me. It takes a village. No charge. :0) rob....! I wish.

Do you have power now?

That would take a very long extension cord to run from somewhere in Colorado to somewhere in Tennessee.

I've never heard of people sharing one generator. People keep them on hand to use when needed, which is always an unexpected time. If loaned to someone else, that defeats having one.

Good luck to you and your regional neighbors, rob.

Nicole,

My home never lost power. Can't get things. Work has no power. No lab meeting. No staff meeting. Co-workers' homes are doing without. We'll recover. We always do. So TIRED of recovering.

We share generators all the time. Portable ones that can run a freezer and refrigerator, power them up to chill/refreeze everything and do it again a few hours later. In the meantime, one or two other neighbors are able to do the same thing. We all have alternative heat sources wood or gas heaters and ways to light our homes (portable lanterns, etc). Of course, this works best in places where the need isn't frequent, but it is fine for occasional outages. Better than everyone having to own and store an infrequently used piece of equipment.

We shared small generators in Dec 2007. Not the whole house kind like my sister has (and seems to need to use at least a couple of times a year) near Seattle, but those that will just run a heater or appliance, charge things. I'd run my freezer for 2-3 hours (door had not been opened) then DH would take it to our neighbor who had a full freezer too and she'd use it there long enough to drop the temp in her freezer again. Or I'd run a space heater at the kitchen end of the house to take the chill off there. Lots of people charged their cell phones. We shared with a third neighbor whose husband was working out of town when that storm hit, and quickly learned she made the best darned coffee on a little hibachi ;0) Crab omelettes one morning that were memorable. In fact, we all shared, and much of anything we had. Gasoline. Ice. Grills. Lanterns and radios.

Few homes in my area have "alternate" heat sources. Many have fireplaces but those give off little if any heat and we have no-burn periods in the winter when wood can't be burned. Houses in my neighborhood are large enough that when the heat can't function because the power is out., they get cold.

I suspect people whose houses are in a more remote setting (as in some hills/mountains around the Bay Area and elsewhere in the state) are more likely to have provisions for losing power. But, again, I don't think those in other than the most modest of homes would want to share a generator. I don't live in such an area.

I've never heard of anyone sharing generators. So my comments, the same as those of others, are based on my experiences.

Well, the homes in this area aren't particularly modest (saltwaterfront) but a few of the newer ones have built-in whole house generators. Some of us in the older homes just need enough power to keep our food from spoiling in warm refers and freezers, so sharing makes perfect sense. Now you can say you've heard of people sharing generators!

My son shared his portable generator with is neighbor during a 5 day power outage. They were able to keep all of their refrigerators and freezers safely cold and ran his well pump to supply plenty of fresh well water for both families.

My neighbor shared his generator for several hours during our 5 day Sandy outage.It was enough time to hook up our fridge and freezer and charge our devices. I had to throw out ice cream, but most of our stuff stayed well frozen or chilled.

Hope things are better quickly, Rob!

Sorry to hear that. Hopefully power can be restored quickly. Most of people up north here always have generators ready for winter storms. We have main generators and also backups. It won’t be a good experience to have a power outage in sub zero weather. Is it common down south to own generators?

Sorry olychick if not clear, I was taking about where I live. An essentially suburban area not lacking in population.

I hadn't heard about the power outages in Nashville. I'm sorry your city has been hit so much with awful weather. I'm also surprised not to have read about it here in KY. Most of the news, I guess, is focused on the virus. I do notice lately there are far fewer shootings happening in Lexington. At least something good is coming from everyone staying away from each other.

25736 now.

If it counts, I let my neighbors who got zapped in the tornado run an extension cord from my from porch to their house. I bet they just used it for the fridge. They got up and running the same day.

We shared our generator with the neighbors in April 2011 when the tornadoes knocked out power for eight days for us. We ran two extension cords, one to our frig and one to our freezer. Ran two to three hours at our house then moved the cords to the neighbor's house for their frig and freezer. Did that from 7am to 10pm, then shut the generator down for the night. Neither of us lost anything. Opened either as little as possible and never all night.

ETA: Are they saying how much longer?

summersrhythm, you asked Is it common down south to own generators? In my experience, it's got a lot more common over the past fifteen years or so. Portable generators became more affordable, and after every major weather event, generators would fly from the big box store shelves. It makes sense that the more often you experience a significant outage, the more you can see the value of a small generator.

Thanks nickel! I am glad to hear that.

New roofs, ugh! Sounds awful. I'm sorry to hear that.

They're not giving a timeline. It was first stated to be a week+ . The most recent update didn't say at all. They're moving pretty fast all things considered. We made a grocery store run yesterday, and there were so many piles of trees, yards with downed trees, crews chopping trees, but nothing in the streets, and all traffic lights were working. My brother is in an essential occupation and he says there were no working lights going to work, all were back on going home. I commend NES.