Remembering the Ice Storm (Lewiston, Westbrook: condo, refrigerator, school)

[juststoppinby]

For anyone interested here is a link from the Lewiston Sun Journal with an article and pictures from the Ice Storm 10 years ago. You may have to copy and paste it.

SunJournal.com - 10 years later, remembering the ice storm (http://www.sunjournal.com/story/246045-3/MaineNews/10_years_later_remembering_the_ice_storm/ - broken link)


Lets hope we never live that again. Although I have to say it certainly brought out the best in a lot of people. People helping each other. As tough as it was (12 days with no power for us) we certainly saw a wonderful side of humanity.

[Maine Writer]

That was our first winter in this house. We were fortunate. We lost the power for 12 hours.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

It was strange. There was a light misty rain and it was about 27 degrees. I stood on our covered porch and listened to branches crashing down in all directions. Our power went out, but we did the Maine thing and put both the refrigerator and freezer on the porch. We have a generator so we had water and the wood stove kept us warm. The Voice of Maine radio station was on 24 hours a day for 3 weeks with local programming. They had local volunteers running the station. Volunteers dragged propane tanks up Passadumkeag Mountain to the transmitter using powerful snowmobiles with carbide studs in the tracks. The Grange in Enfield had a large soup kettle and people brought ingredients all day and all night. It simmered for over 2 weeks. That soup had every vegetable you could name and beef, moose,venison and about any kind of meat too.

After 3 weeks a lady called the station. She said she had just taken a loaf of bread out of her wood fired kitchen stove and was having a cup of tea while watching the birds at her feeder. She volunteered to be the very last person in Maine to be reconnected to power.

That's the spirit!

[Bydand]

We didn't get diddly up here. Lost power for about 3 hours, didn't even miss any work. I felt bad for everybody downstate who had to go so long without power or anything else.

[AustinB]

We had just installed our new wood stove earlier in the day it started. We lost power for a few hours then got it back only to lose it a day later for a day and a half.

[Unhappycamper]

I was only 10 and we missed a week of school. I loved it but my parents were not impressed.

[WhoFanMe]

I was working for AT&T at the time and drove back from training and noticed when I got off the turnpike at (then) Exit 8 it was really dark - all the street lights were out. I lived in a Westbrook condo at the time and was out for about 4 hours, which I remember being annoyed about. It was only later on that I realized the extent of the damage.

[genmomto5]

Originally Posted by Northern Maine Land Man

but we did the Maine thing and put both the refrigerator and freezer on the porch.

Great! I love it!

[Northern Maine Land Man]

If it's too cold for the refrigerator part out there just put a candle in the refrigerator for a while. Eskimos heat an igloo with a candle. Hey, it's true. Farley Mowat said so.

[mainebrokerman]

the ice storm was a great reflection on how mainers are,,,checking on neighbors, to see if they were ok,,,even offering them to use thier shower if they had a generator, etc.
all i can say, is thank god for my woodstove!!! i lost power for 3 weeks, i went snowmobiling thru the fields and woods and will never forget the sounds of cracking branches, and trees, falling and snapping from the weight of the ice. i wished i video-taped, not only hearing the sounds but thier was awesome images of ice on everything and when the sun was out ..it was like a prism of colors,,sparkling,,

i never heard of one instance in my area, of anyone stealing from anyone else, or taking advantage of anyone in need, it was quite the opposite, neighbors helping neighbors!!

many businesses were forced to close, i didnt hear one account of looting!!