(no subject)
The ice storm was bad. I don't think anyone really expected what was going to happen. I, most certainly, did not. I went to work on Thursday like usual. I did not bring anything with me as I expected to go home. I knew that if the storm was really bad that I would just stay somewhere else, like a hotel, for a night and go home the following day. I was assured of myself in this. I was so very wrong.
I remember my mother calling me while I was out eating with my coworkers. She yelled at me, YELLED, to not come home. She made that very clear. I thought it was silly that she would think that the weather outside was dangerous. It was just raining heavily......where I was. I shrugged and said I would not go home because I didn't want my mother waking me up at 6AM to yell at me for coming home.
I was so very wrong.
I left work at midnight as usual. I drove to my friend's apartment. She lives in Marlborough, which is a fifteen minute drive from Worcester. It took me nearly an hour to get here. It wasn't bad in Worcester, but I should have had an idea of how bad it was when I went to get on the exit and there was a tree down in the road. When I was driving down 290 toward 495, I thought I saw lightning....LIGHTNING IN DECEMBER. I saw a large burst of yellow light and then about 3 or 4 minutes later another bright white light....followed by another a minute later. I was scared at this point. When I got into Marlborough, half the town had no power, including where I was going. I saw down limbs from trees and powerlines lying across the road like they belonged there. I was dodging through these to get somewhere safe.
When I got to my friend's apartment, I got a text from my friend, who was going into work up in Fitchburg on Rt. 2. He didn't even make it to the highway. A tree smashed through the front windshield of his car before sliding under his car and taking out part of his undercarriage. He was okay, though. Nothing happened to him. Time passed and he texted me again about how the trees were falling on his house.
I remember laying on the couch with no power listening to the trees outside as the sleet started to wane. The trees would groan, crack, break, and fall. It was like listening to a war zone. It was the most eerie thing that I had ever heard. It was almost unbearable. Think of listening to a small child crying outside your window, quietly, for a long time period and you being powerless to help them as they froze to death, slowly. It made me sick to my stomach.
I got up early on Friday, hoping that I would be able to go home, get some clothes, shower....etc. They had closed down Rt. 2 and were closing a lot of other highways. The state of MA declared a state of emergency as had NH. Nashua was completely without power. Worcester was 50/50. Marlborough still had no power. I still had to go to work as I work at a hospital, making me an essential employee. I had no clothes....no toothbrush....nothing. There were no stores open in Marlborough due to the outage. I drove to Worcester. I found an open Target, bought new clothes and new underwear, and went to work. We were on Phase Two Emergency....we weren't allowed to leave unless cleared by our managers.
I called my mother. She yelled at me again. She was under a lot of pressure. She had to go into work through the disaster to be with her clients. My father had to go to work too....he fixes generators, which are now essential. I was worried and wanted to make sure they were okay. I had heard it was bad up there....only heard.
I got out of work on time as they had called off the emergency. I had made plans to go back over to my friends house is Marlborough which now had power after well over 12 hours. It was almost out 24 hours. People in Worcester and north were still, mostly, without power. Trees were bent everywhere, leaning into the road. It looked like a tornado had gone through. I had talked to my parents again before I left work, our cellphones being our only communication. They had the generator running and the fireplace going. They would have to shut the generator off, but the fire would have to be sufficient enough. It was around 5-10 degrees that night with windchill.
I got up today and drove home. My mother relocated to Brattleboro VT with her clients. She staying there tonight. My dad is still at home. I'm still in Marlborough tonight. The drive home was depressing and eye opening. The ice got thicker more quickly as I went north. The downed trees became more plentiful as well. The ice was so pretty....coating everything in a deadly crystal white. It glistened softly in the sunshine as I weaved my way through downed trees and powerlines. There was no power in Fitchburg.....Gardner....or Winchendon. A couple of friends, one who lives in Winchendon, came with me. It was the most horrifying and saddening thing I've ever seen. I drove over seven down powerlines at least. Some roads looked like tracks through the woods with the two single tire tracks leading you out. The crews were out working diligently. I thank them. I thank everyone trying to help. It means a lot to me as I'm sure it means a lot to other people. They have homes too...without power....families. They are working out in the freezing cold to help others.
You can find pictures of what happened on any news website. The ones from NH look more accurate as to what happened to my town.
I want to go home. =(
The image of destruction will forever be imbedded in my eyelids and I will see it everytime I close my eyes.
I remember my mother calling me while I was out eating with my coworkers. She yelled at me, YELLED, to not come home. She made that very clear. I thought it was silly that she would think that the weather outside was dangerous. It was just raining heavily......where I was. I shrugged and said I would not go home because I didn't want my mother waking me up at 6AM to yell at me for coming home.
I was so very wrong.
I left work at midnight as usual. I drove to my friend's apartment. She lives in Marlborough, which is a fifteen minute drive from Worcester. It took me nearly an hour to get here. It wasn't bad in Worcester, but I should have had an idea of how bad it was when I went to get on the exit and there was a tree down in the road. When I was driving down 290 toward 495, I thought I saw lightning....LIGHTNING IN DECEMBER. I saw a large burst of yellow light and then about 3 or 4 minutes later another bright white light....followed by another a minute later. I was scared at this point. When I got into Marlborough, half the town had no power, including where I was going. I saw down limbs from trees and powerlines lying across the road like they belonged there. I was dodging through these to get somewhere safe.
When I got to my friend's apartment, I got a text from my friend, who was going into work up in Fitchburg on Rt. 2. He didn't even make it to the highway. A tree smashed through the front windshield of his car before sliding under his car and taking out part of his undercarriage. He was okay, though. Nothing happened to him. Time passed and he texted me again about how the trees were falling on his house.
I remember laying on the couch with no power listening to the trees outside as the sleet started to wane. The trees would groan, crack, break, and fall. It was like listening to a war zone. It was the most eerie thing that I had ever heard. It was almost unbearable. Think of listening to a small child crying outside your window, quietly, for a long time period and you being powerless to help them as they froze to death, slowly. It made me sick to my stomach.
I got up early on Friday, hoping that I would be able to go home, get some clothes, shower....etc. They had closed down Rt. 2 and were closing a lot of other highways. The state of MA declared a state of emergency as had NH. Nashua was completely without power. Worcester was 50/50. Marlborough still had no power. I still had to go to work as I work at a hospital, making me an essential employee. I had no clothes....no toothbrush....nothing. There were no stores open in Marlborough due to the outage. I drove to Worcester. I found an open Target, bought new clothes and new underwear, and went to work. We were on Phase Two Emergency....we weren't allowed to leave unless cleared by our managers.
I called my mother. She yelled at me again. She was under a lot of pressure. She had to go into work through the disaster to be with her clients. My father had to go to work too....he fixes generators, which are now essential. I was worried and wanted to make sure they were okay. I had heard it was bad up there....only heard.
I got out of work on time as they had called off the emergency. I had made plans to go back over to my friends house is Marlborough which now had power after well over 12 hours. It was almost out 24 hours. People in Worcester and north were still, mostly, without power. Trees were bent everywhere, leaning into the road. It looked like a tornado had gone through. I had talked to my parents again before I left work, our cellphones being our only communication. They had the generator running and the fireplace going. They would have to shut the generator off, but the fire would have to be sufficient enough. It was around 5-10 degrees that night with windchill.
I got up today and drove home. My mother relocated to Brattleboro VT with her clients. She staying there tonight. My dad is still at home. I'm still in Marlborough tonight. The drive home was depressing and eye opening. The ice got thicker more quickly as I went north. The downed trees became more plentiful as well. The ice was so pretty....coating everything in a deadly crystal white. It glistened softly in the sunshine as I weaved my way through downed trees and powerlines. There was no power in Fitchburg.....Gardner....or Winchendon. A couple of friends, one who lives in Winchendon, came with me. It was the most horrifying and saddening thing I've ever seen. I drove over seven down powerlines at least. Some roads looked like tracks through the woods with the two single tire tracks leading you out. The crews were out working diligently. I thank them. I thank everyone trying to help. It means a lot to me as I'm sure it means a lot to other people. They have homes too...without power....families. They are working out in the freezing cold to help others.
You can find pictures of what happened on any news website. The ones from NH look more accurate as to what happened to my town.
I want to go home. =(
The image of destruction will forever be imbedded in my eyelids and I will see it everytime I close my eyes.