Posts Tagged ‘Power Outage’

The Value of Mutual Assistance

Tuesday, August 4th, 2015
Hours After a 30-Minute Thunderstorm

Hours After a 30-Minute Thunderstorm

A severe thunderstorm struck Rhode Island at about 6:30 this morning, knocking out trees, flooding roads and leaving more than 120,000 residents without power, more than were left without power following Superstorm Sandy. The storm brought wind gusts of 80 miles per hour, along with quarter-size hail and intense lightning strikes.  I took this photograph of a nearby home that was damaged when a tree fell on it. I took this picture when it was safe to do so, in the evening, after most of the tree had been removed. By mid-afternoon, you could heat the sounds of chain saws cutting up fallen trees.

National Grid, the local utility company, reported that the storm had knocked out power to 20 major power lines that serve 12 substations, 70 main distribution lines, and hundreds of power lines and equipment on local streets and in neighborhoods. The company sent 300 line crews, 110 tree crews, and 90 wires down/”cut-and-clear” crews to work with the electric grid to turn the power back on. Then National Grid reached out to its partners in the North Atlantic Mutual Assistance Group, a group formed to enable its 33 member utility companies to assist one another in the event of an emergency. Utility crews from eight northeastern states came to Rhode Island to assist in the efforts to restore power.  The mutual assistance framework now crosses national boundaries as well.

Hydro-Québec sent 60 employees, including 50 line workers as well as technical and logistics personnel, from Canada to Rhode Island to help National Grid crews. This was not the first time Hydro-Québec crews crossed the U.S. border to help the response to a severe storm. In January, the company sent 50 crews to Boston to assist after a severe blizzard. The mutual assistance framework provides a mechanism for the company requesting assistance to pay the costs of the utility companies that respond to the call for help and coordinates the logistics to avoid delays in responding.

We also saw informal mutual assistance in action as neighbors helped one another clear trees and remove debris well before responders could access the roads. I work with a virtual assistant who was accessible via cell phone. She re-scheduled my appointments for the day as it was impossible to leave my home. And I had my laptop and tablet fully charged so I was able to continue working and help others who were unable to place calls. The severe storm reminded me that it is time to update my own mutual assistance framework for my business.

 

 

 

 

Taking My Own Advice

Thursday, July 29th, 2010

I had the unnerving experience of hearing the chirping sound emanating from my UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) unit, followed by intense crackling. Fortunately, this was not followed by any equipment malfunctions. An hour later it happened again and then once more by the close of the business day. It turns out that my building was experiencing micro-outages and alternating power surges caused by extreme demand on the grid from air conditioning usage. Without the protection of the UPS unit, my computer would have been fried. My cinema display monitor survived the first two electrical assaults, but capitulated after the third one. Fortunately, the monitor is not damaged; I just need to replace the power cable. I am glad I followed my own advice; protecting sensitive computer equipment with a UPS unit really paid off today.

Storms Leave 150,000 in Missouri Without Power

Tuesday, May 12th, 2009
Power Outages Affect Us All

Power Outages Affect Us All

This weekend, hundreds of homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed in Kansas, Illinois, Kentucky and  Missouri as a result of powerful storms. The Governor of Missouri declared a state of emergency as 150,000 residents of his state were without power. This is a timely reminder to evaluate your protection against power outages, starting with the protection of computers and data. Even when electrical power is available, there are quality issues, like peaks in voltage as well as micro-outages. Since IT equipment is sensitive, use an uninterruptible power supply unit (UPS), which is usually a surge protector, together with a small buffer battery that would supply energy for about 10 minutes after the electricity supply is terminated, enough to finish important work and to shut down the system. Most units support an automatic shutdown before the battery is completely depleted. Some buildings supply self-generated backup power. Please note that this power is usually much “dirtier” than power from the outlet. Under these circumstances, you must use a UPS unit, preferably one that is designed to smooth out erratic electricity supply.

Certain high-rise apartment and office buildings have back-up generators that provide low levels of power for up to fourteen hours after termination of the central electrical supply. Many workers and residents of these buildings mistakenly believed that a volt of electricity is a volt of electricity irrespective of whether it comes from the central utility or a back-up generator. During a recent power outage, they used their home and office computers with electricity delivered from a back-up generator, without the benefit of a UPS unit, and damaged their computers in the process. Also, remember to turn off appliances and equipment during a power outage as power supply may be erratic when it is initially restored.

Spring Snow Storm Disrupts Small Businesses, Travelers and Residents

Monday, April 20th, 2009
Beautiful but destructive

Beautiful but destructive

Over the weekend, a powerful storm left more than three feet of snow across the Rocky Mountains and areas west of Denver, stranding hundreds of travelers, as airlines canceled flights. United Airlines, which has a hub at Denver International Airport, canceled 76 flights Friday, 14 on Saturday and delayed several others. Dangerous road conditions caused numerous traffic accidents across the area, one of which resulted in a fatality. The snow fall ranged from 3 to 10 inches in Denver to as much as 52 inches in Pinecliffe. The snow had prompted the closure of Interstate Highway 70 between Vail and Golden, forcing more than 500 people to spend the night at American Red Cross shelters in Idaho Springs and Georgetown. The National Guard delivered two truckloads of cots, blankets and food. About 15,000 homes and businesses in and around Denver were without power. Restoration of power was delayed by the lack of access to roadways caused by heavy snowfall. While severe snowstorms in the spring are unusual, power outages are not. This presents an opportunity for all small businesses to remember certain basic preparations for dealing with power outages.

Protection of computers and data.
Even when electrical power is available, there are quality issues, like peaks in voltage as well as micro-outages. Since IT equipment is sensitive, use an uninterruptible power supply unit (UPS), which is usually a surge protector, together with a small buffer battery that would supply energy for about ten minutes after the electricity supply is terminated, enough to finish important work and to shut down the system. Most units support an automatic shutdown before the battery is completely depleted. Some buildings supply self-generated backup power. Please note that this power is usually much “dirtier” than power from the outlet. Under these circumstances, you must use a UPS unit, preferably one that is designed to smooth out erratic electricity supply.

Certain high-rise apartment and office building have back-up generators that provide low levels of power for up to fourteen hours after termination of the central electrical supply. Many workers and residents of these buildings mistakenly believed that a volt of electricity is a volt of electricity irrespective of whether it comes from the central utility or a back-up generator. They often use their home and office computers with electricity delivered from a back-up generator, without the benefit of a UPS unit, and damage their computers in the process. Also, remember to turn off appliances and equipment during a power outage as power supply may be erratic when it is initially restored.

Basic measures of preparation.
Of course, all of the basic measures for preparation apply (keeping battery-operated radios, extra batteries, non-perishable foods, flashlights, bottled water, etc.) for both your home and your office. It also bears repeating that measures recommended for small business contingency will yield immediate benefits to your business in terms of improved operating efficiencies, even if disaster never strikes. Finally, remember that each suggestion put forward for small business contingency solutions can be applicable to home and to personal needs.