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Posted: Saturday, October 27, 2012 10:51 pm
Record-Journal
Before last year’s October snowstorm, Crystal Mason didn’t pay attention to the weather much. Now — after experiencing 11 days without electricity, losing a freezer full of food and having a tree crash near her house — the Meriden resident is watching the forecast.
“I just heard there is going to be a storm and I thought, ‘I’m not ready for a storm,’” Mason said. “I lost a lot last year, and I want to be prepared this year.”
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The snowstorm late last October took many residents by surprise and the ensuing power outages, which lasted about a week for most, made people more weather-wary.
Mason said she’s watching to see if there will again be snow before the leaves fall — a dangerous situation that causes sagging and broken branches that can take down power lines.
“I really didn’t pay attention too much, but last year really got to me,” she said. “I see it happening again this year.”
Julie Fenster, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Connecticut, said traumatic events such as storms and power outages tend to stick with people and influence their behavior. People who lived through the Great Depression would keep things longer than those who hadn’t.
Fenster said it’s not surprising that people are preparing more this year.
“It’s shoring up your resources,” she said.
Mason has started taking precautions, including trimming her trees and stocking up on wood.
“I’m trying to go out and buy $25 (worth) at a time to stock up,” she said. “I’m not saving any kind of food in my freezer.”
Last year, Mason lost about $500 worth of food.
Despite tree-cutting work by CLP since last October, Mason said, the power grid is still vulnerable. He has a feeling that this winter will be bad.
“I ride around a lot, and I see a lot of wires through trees, still,” she said.
Most won’t experience post-traumatic stress disorder after a storm, Fenster said, but there are often increases in anxiety, since people are powerless over the weather.
“We don’t know if a tornado is going to touch down,” she said.
News of an approaching hurricane doesn’t help.
“I was out of power for a week and it was awful,” Fenster said. “I have some anxiety about the upcoming storm.”
Brahim Goulami, owner of the Colony Market gas station, remembers the downed wires and branches that blocked the intersection of Hall Avenue and Old Colony Road for nearly a week last year, leaving him without power. Goulami bought two small generators last year to keep his lights, alarms and register on, and is considering buying a larger diesel generator to run his walk-in freezer and pumps.
That could cost him about $15,000, but he doesn’t want to be without power for an extended period again. Last year, he worried about break-ins at his powerless business.
“You can’t sleep; you don’t know what’s going to happen,” Goulami said. “I hope nothing happens this year.”
Last year’s outage did at least prompt CLP to improve service, according to Goulami. Since the outage, monthly statements have arrived more promptly and crews are dispatched more quickly to fix problems, he said.
“It made them really change,” Goulami said. “There’s now more service than before.”
For all his precautions, Goulami said, there’s only so much you can do other than pray.
“God is the one that protects people,” he said. “I hope if it snows we can enjoy it and not have any problems.”
jbuchanan@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2230
Twitter: @JBuchananRJ
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