Some lose power for more than a day due to storm
Photo
Julie Backenkeller snuggles up with her dog Lucy in front of a propane heater at her Janesville home on Thursday. The electricity was out at her home for more than 32 hours and she was forced to use alternative measures to keep warm.
JANESVILLE — As of 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Alliant Energy reported 288 electric customers in Rock County were still without power, down from 520 reported at 5 a.m.
That was a lot better than the 9,500 who were powerless on Wednesday morning.
But if you were living in Julie Backenkeller's house, the fact that most people had power restored was little consolation.
Backenkeller called the Gazette at about 1:15 p.m. Thursday as her patience with Alliant Energy wore thin.
Backenkeller said her house and others in her west-side Janesville neighborhood had been without power since 4 a.m. Wednesday.
Making matters worse were Alliant operators who said power would be restored soon, and then an automated call in the middle of the night Wednesday, saying power would be restored within two hours.
It wasn't.
If she had known it would take so long to get power back, she'd have bought a generator, Backenkeller said. The only other heat sources in her house were the range top and hot water heater, both gas powered.
Backenkeller said her father brought over a propane heater Thursday and kept her house at a still intolerable 54 degrees.
"Now, we're not worried so much about freezing as we are about carbon monoxide poisoning," Backenkeller said sardonically.
Alliant spokesman Steve Schultz said crews were working as quickly as they could.
"All I can say is, we've got all our crews out there working around clock, and I certainly sympathize with those people who have been out for a long stretch," Schultz said.
"We're working to get them restored as soon as we can and as safely as we can," he added.
Backenkeller, meanwhile, had planned to get a fireplace insert installed next month so she could burn wood to heat her home. She convinced her installer to move the install date up to immediately.
Backenkeller's electricity came on 2:40 p.m. Thursday, just as she was lighting her first wood fire. She turned off her furnace.
"It's warm already," she said. "I'm excited."
Dec 14, 2009 at 10:20 a.m.
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I have heard if you have a fireplace w/o blower it doesn't give off much heat. It may only warm the air that is coming in from outside cause the flue(sp?) is open. Those wood stoves really put off some heat even if you don't put that blower on.
Dec 12, 2009 at 1:05 p.m.
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Just one more thought how was to blower on an insert going to work if you have no power.
Dec 12, 2009 at 12:59 p.m.
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I wonder if you have a fireplace to put an insert in why would you not light a fire in it to stay warm.
Dec 12, 2009 at 12:01 a.m.
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My power was out. Did the report thing. Was late for work. Have pets. So plan was drain all water pipes and water heater. Take pets to friends and drop off and go to work. If it would not have been on when I got out of work. Well I am sure I would have had a hard time choosing which one of like 7 places to stay at between friends and family. That would also had no problem with my pets being there.
Dec 11, 2009 at 7:58 p.m.
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I'd just like to say thanks Alliant. First for coming out to my house to disconnect the live wire under the downed branches that were still dangling in the tree and trimming the rest of the branches around it. Second, for coming back out and reconnecting the wire. Also thanks to Richter Electric for coming out so quickly to put up the mast. During the 26 hrs we were down we saw you guys working hard in Milton, Edgerton and Janesville. I know it was a long night for us but nothing compares to what you guys were in. Inside my house it was 50. When you reconnected my wire it was -2 outside. So a big thanks for working so hard to get it fixed! You guys did a great job.
Dec 11, 2009 at 7:19 p.m.
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I would have bundled up and went to bed to hibernate or go to work where it was warm. Maybe to the library?
Wasn't there just a story about a fire that was caused by propane tank? They were deep frying a turkey and the propane blew up cause of bad line.
I have to agree, did she look outside? I think they worked as fast as they could. Maybe she would like to be outside instead fixing the power. They explained WHY it was taking so long on the radio. They have those that don't use electricity.
Dec 11, 2009 at 6:31 p.m.
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So she called the gazette at 1:15 to complain, power was restored 1 hour and 25 minutes later...after her fireplace was installed. So did the Gazette run right over there and take the picture or was that staged to make a good story?
Also, is her whining about it being cold in her house for 32 hours really newsworthy? Think about the people who have been living under bridges. Think they had a father who ran over a propane heater right away?
I hope she doesn't run for city council again. This is not the kind of person we need running the city.
Dec 11, 2009 at 5:42 p.m.
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Sardonically or not, she should worry. Propane heaters should not be used indoors as the article the Gazette ran the other day points out. They're meant for camping, construction sites, garages, and so forth.
http://gazettextra.com/news/2009/dec/09/...
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A propane heater killed a couple and their granddaughters at a Madison horse show in 2007.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/2...
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Never go to sleep with one of these running. You might not wake up.
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