Topic: Anyone know how pick you seat went today?

[W0lfman]

Had it at 10am this morning.

[korun]

70% of AEP people have no power. Doubt they had any pick your seat day. You do know Huntington to Charleston is currently a disaster area dont you?

[MUPE84]

Mine went well.  I picked mine several times after standing up.  What a cheeezer.  ;D

[W0lfman]

I did not.  I talked to my sister today and she said they had a couple of trees from a wind storm last night cover the road but that is it.  Whats going on?

[biggreenarms]

I did not.  I talked to my sister today and she said they had a couple of trees from a wind storm last night cover the road but that is it.  Whats going on?

I heard on the national news early this morning that something in the neighborhood of 600,000 plus WV folks were without power. It is bad here in Dayton, OH as well. We have power but many of my neighbors do not. Other than the Ike Hurricane the reformed over Dayton several years ago this storm was by far the worst I have experienced in about a decade.

Where I work it took 2 of us to barely push open an outside door to the building. Winds were clocked at 85-90 mph. We walked out in the parking lot during the beginning of the storm because we were in awe of the massive black swirling clouds and we could barely stand up. It was fun, exhilarating but a bit dangerous and stupid considering all the damage here.

[biggreenarms]

State of emergency declared in West Virginia after powerful storms

The governor of West Virginia declared a state of emergency for the entire state early Saturday morning after powerful evening storms left an estimated 500,000 residents without power.

"The damage from today's storms is widespread and in many places severe," said Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin in a statement. "With temperatures near 100 degrees expected this weekend, it's critical that we get people's power back on as soon as possible. We're committing 100% of our state's resources for as long as we need to get this cleaned up."

Tomblin urged residents to stay as cool as possible and drink plenty of fluids since the state will be under a hear advisory until 8 p.m. this evening.

The West Virginia Gazette-Mail reported damage at Charleston’s Yeager Airport. Strong winds caused a single-engine Cessna to flip over on the tarmac and several large hanger doors were blown off their hinges, the report said.

Violent evening storms following a day of triple-digit temperatures wiped out power to more than 2 million people across the eastern United States and caused two fatalities in Virginia -- including a 90-year-old woman asleep in bed when a tree slammed into her home, a police spokeswoman said Saturday.

Widespread power outages were reported from Indiana to New Jersey, with the bulk of the service interruptions concentrated on Washington, D.C., and the surrounding areas. Earlier Friday, the nation's capital reached 104 degrees -- topping a record of 101 set in 1934

http://www.foxnews.com/weather/2012/06/30/state-emergency-declared-in-west-virginia-after-powerful-storms/

[W0lfman]

jeez...I had no idea.  Just called my family and talked with them a bit and they gave me an update.  they lost thier power for a couple of hours but all is good for them now.  i hope they can get the power back on soon for everyone else considering the heatwave going on up there.   Prayers to everyone.

[luvherd]

2.5 mill in VA. DC and Maryland also hit. They told me 48 hours to make an assessment. I left.

[FlyHawk98]

My family lives in Wayne County. Most of them have electricity, but my cousin who also lives there was told it could be  off as long as July 7th!

[morpheus]

Just got my electric back around 6pm after 24 hours without.  Man that storm leveled a lot of trees and tore a lot of roofs up.  75 mile an hour winds and the blackest clouds you have ever seen.  Heard on the news that 12 people had been killed in several states by this storm system.

[lovetheherd2]

Mother in Law, East Pea Ridge had two trees fall on roof, electric lines down, meter caught fire, no electric now.

Contractors cut up trees, put tarp on roof. Luckily sister in law lives a mile down the road and could help all day.

Tough times in many areas....

[Big City]

Had it at 10am this morning.

Stayed in Hurricane last night with my parents and they lost power an still don't have power. I hadn't renewed my tix yet because we wanted to move to the endzone so my father would have a shorter walk to and from the stadium.  We got to the stadium about 1030 and we were the only ones there. When we decided on our new seats another family had arrived and were purchasing seats. I'm not sure other than that how the turnout was but it was slow during the hour I was there. Section 236 is our new home- sat in our old seats since 1997. Definitely will be a change for our group !

Lots of seats available people. It's time to Step it up a notch Herd Fans!

[IM4DHERD]

So I am driving to Htgn from Charlotte this AM.  3/4 tank of gas leaving Huntersville.  Cross into WV and start to think about gas.  Had already hit a bunch of July 4 week travel traffic through VA so did not think much of the 1/4 mile line I saw over in the southbound lane of 77 getting off at Princeton.  After a bit, pulled into the first Turnpike Travel Plaza to see 75+ cars in line for the pumps and none of them seemed to be working.  Kept on to Winterplace exit and got off, but saw 50+ cars backed up the road trying to get into a station.  Kept going to Beckley, got off and pulled into a Exxon.  40 cars, but the place was closed...This was when I found out about the storm.  Plenty of gas, but no electricity to pump it.  Every gas outlet for miles had 50-100 cars who needed gas but no dice.  Called my brother who found out for me that gas and electricity was available 40 miles up the road in Chelyan.  Running on fume with about 10 miles to go when I come across the second Travel Plaza and see lights on - Electricity!  State Police are managing a line of perhaps 80 cars trying to get gas.  Got filled up and made it to Htgn.

Went out with my mother and brother tonight for a bit and we noticed lines at all stations.  Dinner was a nightmare. With 60% of Cabell County out, everyone was rushing to those areas with electricity to fill up their gas tanks and since they could not cook, every restaurant had a 2 hour wait.  By the time I was heading home at 11, I didn't see a single open station.  Earlier, we'd seen a notice on TV that Dunbar was out of gas, so don't try going there.  Seems everywhere from Charleston through Hurricane was down except for Dunbar so everyone headed there and drained the city of gas.

Will get up in the AM and head out early to find gas for the ride home...Wish me luck.  It's like the freakin' Zombie Apocolypse out there.

[IM4DHERD]

Didn't think to mention that all these people stranded in So WV with no gas also had not food (restaurants closed), no water, gatorade, etc. (no convenience or grocery stores open), Not hotels to stay in (no AC, no TV, no electricity to run cash registers or computers to check them in), etc.

Also, the Tamarack exit was completely closed with barriers on the interstate due to the 150+ cars already in line there waiting for electricity to get gas.

They were saying it could be days before the area is back up and running...Heading home to Charlotte today. Little afraid of what I'll see on the way back through the area on the way down.

[biggreenarms]

Drive safe.

[Herdmeister]

WSAZ is reporting that AEP is now saying in may be Friday before power is fully restored here in Huntington.

[IM4DHERD]

Drive safe.

Thanks...Just hoping that stranded travelers aren't blocking the interstate with siphon hoses and killing people for gas.

[W0lfman]

Just landed at Tri State and everything looks normal here in Wayne County.

[BHFIOHIO]

Parents live in Guyandotte and they were without power from 7pm till early afternoon the next day. McDonalds was closed Saturday in Proctorville, That is a first as far as I can remember.    5th Ave restaurant was a mad house.

[HERDFAN1999]

Beckley was an absolute mess yesterday.  It was unbelievable.  I am surprised we didn't hear more about any violent encounters because the gas situation was really bad.  I haven't been out today but I am hearing some of the power along Harper Rd and the Tamarack exit has been restored and some of the places are up and running.  I'll second the comment about the Zombies.  It was crazy.  Some guys from AEP said some may be without power for up to two weeks.  We live pretty close to the Harper Rd exit and our power was restored yesterday evening.  Our prayers are going out for all those still without power. 

I can't believe the truck stops on exits 44 and 45 don't have generators.  What a stupid business decision. 

[svherd]

Fellas, I waited 2 hours in Lewisburg for gas yesterday. I had been fishing on the Greenbrier River when the storm hit our campground. It was incredible. I hunkered behind a boulder to avoid flying branches, etc. Campers demolished by fallen trees. Big 30-40 footcampers mover 3-4 feet off their original locations. Everything was out over there. It was like a war zone. A gas distributor opened up yesterday morning and fill up hundreds of cars. I had 1/4 of a tank but that would have gotten me back to Huntington and didn't know if Beckley or Charleston had any places open. So I took the safe route and waited for gas.

I have never seen a tornado or micro burst but whatever ws got was intense!

[extragreen]

Beckley was an absolute mess yesterday.  It was unbelievable.  I am surprised we didn't hear more about any violent encounters because the gas situation was really bad.  I haven't been out today but I am hearing some of the power along Harper Rd and the Tamarack exit has been restored and some of the places are up and running.  I'll second the comment about the Zombies.  It was crazy.  Some guys from AEP said some may be without power for up to two weeks.  We live pretty close to the Harper Rd exit and our power was restored yesterday evening.  Our prayers are going out for all those still without power. 

I can't believe the truck stops on exits 44 and 45 don't have generators.  What a stupid business decision. 

That has been my question....why no generators at the gas stations? Maybe it takes a LOT of electricity to run the pumps? I'd really like to know.

[IM4DHERD]

Generator = a pretty hefty investment for a company to have on hand and ready to use only in an emergency.  Gas stations aren't state agencies, there are there for profit.

Just got home a bit ago.  Tamarack was open and looked to be pumping and I could see red lights working off other exits while heading past/through Beckley.

There was a reported threat of another storm last night...Nothing happened in Htgn, but just south of Wytheville today it was blowing like crazy.  Looked like I missed a doozy by just a few minutes based on the leaves and branches on the road and the trees down on both sides.  Looked like 77N was blocked by a fallen tree and backed up about 6 miles.

[extragreen]

I would guess a convenience store/gas station could probably get by with a generator that costs less than $12,000. That might keep the coolers cool and allow gas pumps to work. Not only do you get to continue to make sales, you don't lose your products such as milk, ice cream, cold cuts, etc. But I have no idea what kind of profit is made at a convenience store/gas station.

[ThunderDent]

My section of Spring Valley still without power. There are 3 trees down just beside my house, laying across the road and across the lines. 2 power poles snapped in half, and powerline from the top of the pole laying all over my driveway and through the trees.

A huge tree right beside my house snapped in half and luckily fell away from the house.

The wind was so powerfull it felt like it was lifting up the house (brick house with foundation/crawl space) and the pressure in the crawl space blew 2 registers off the house. Giant limbs flying all around. Crazy.