Bucket Brigade
Yes, Snowpocalypse 2011 hit El Paso too! We only got about an inch of snow that's mostly gone by now, but our main issue has been the COLD. It arrived on Tuesday night, and has been a fixture since then. Two nights ago we hit the second lowest temperature EVER for El Paso, -4. I think it's on its way out now though--we're supposed to break freezing today and then next week we'll be back in the mid 50's/low 60's for highs.
Temperatures that low in the desert are causing 2 main problems, so schools/city offices have been and are STILL closed, even though the roads are perfectly clear:
1. Blackouts. One literally just happened as I am typing this! El Paso Electric claims they weren't prepared for the surge in power usage that resulted from everybody trying to keep warm (Do they live under a rock?), so they've been systematically issuing rolling blackouts throughout the city so as not to stress the grids so much. It's been our turn 5 or 6 times over the past couple days; they usually last for anywhere from 15-45 minutes.
2. Frozen pipes. Several buildings on campus don't have water due to frozen pipes someplace--we don't know where so we're waiting 'til they thaw and praying they don't burst! My apartment (I left my faucets dripping and my cabinets open but the plan failed) and the dorm are among them, so Chris and I have been on "bucket brigade," carrying buckets of water from the office to the dorm so Ron and Kay can cook and flush the toilets!
Until next time, blessings (and stay warm)!
Temperatures that low in the desert are causing 2 main problems, so schools/city offices have been and are STILL closed, even though the roads are perfectly clear:
1. Blackouts. One literally just happened as I am typing this! El Paso Electric claims they weren't prepared for the surge in power usage that resulted from everybody trying to keep warm (Do they live under a rock?), so they've been systematically issuing rolling blackouts throughout the city so as not to stress the grids so much. It's been our turn 5 or 6 times over the past couple days; they usually last for anywhere from 15-45 minutes.
2. Frozen pipes. Several buildings on campus don't have water due to frozen pipes someplace--we don't know where so we're waiting 'til they thaw and praying they don't burst! My apartment (I left my faucets dripping and my cabinets open but the plan failed) and the dorm are among them, so Chris and I have been on "bucket brigade," carrying buckets of water from the office to the dorm so Ron and Kay can cook and flush the toilets!
Until next time, blessings (and stay warm)!
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