I’m writing this series to benefit Golden Harvest Food bank. This organization has boots on the ground in Augusta to help victims recover from Hurricane Helene.
Contribute here today to help these folks get back on their feet.
There’s less urgency today. It’s amazing how much peace of mind that generator has given us.
Cutting the generator off for a few hours at bedtime then turning it back on at 3:30 AM leaves me a little groggy. Still, it’s worth giving the system a break to conserve gas. Feeding this beast costs about $15 a day. Not to mention the quiet break let the rest of the family fall asleep easier.
We make Eggos in the toaster oven for breakfast. They’re soft from being refrigerated instead of frozen, but we didn’t have to throw them out right away. We’ve also reorganized the kitchen to make coffee.
After enjoying her morning brew, my wife runs a couple carafes of hot water through so she can wash dishes and some clothes. It’s nice to work with something other than the grill, which sits next to the noisy generator.
Friends in Need
A friend of ours had taken his family to a house Atlanta. The power outage cut off their well pump. No water and no power was too much, and they had to leave. He brought back supplies for families who stayed, including some gas cans and bags of ice for us.
I’ve gone from the desperation to feeling overstocked in two days, and he won’t let me pay him for the gas yet. Having good friends who look out for you in dark times is a blessing.
He says several trees fell into the access road in his neighborhood. They live on a dead-end road at the edge of their county, which puts them at the bottom of the priority list. They might not get power back for another week.
So, their neighbors who owned tractors banded together to clear their own roads. He said he was going to see how he could help clear trees before he went back to his family in Atlanta. Later in the day, he sends a text of resources in the area with gas, ice, and food.
I take my dog and kids for a walk through the neighborhood. One neighbor says he’s being called back into his employer, even though he still doesn’t have power at his house. For the past two days, he has been helping other neighbors clear trees with his chainsaw and needs a break.
Some of our neighbors are still cleaning up sections of fence and I can still hear an occasional chainsaw slicing a downed tree in the distance. People are helping each other all over. How can I show up for the moment?
Is This My Chance?
The local blood center sends a text blast. Their shelves are empty and they have power at their donation sites again. There might be a chance to help after all.
I bring a couple gas cans to return to my parents. My 10-year old tags along, too.
We visit a Kroger on the way. They seem to have a gas line situated, but they direct us in a circle back to the entrance of the parking lot.
When we get to the donation site, the office is closed. But a small bloodmobile is running outside the entrance.
We hit another snag inside. They tell me kids must be 12 or older to wait inside. Liability reasons.
No dice this round.
I fill the gas can and my car at Walmart on the other side of the bridge. Waits are under 10 minutes now. Another good sign that people are meeting their needs.
On the way to my parents’, we see another host of line trucks repairing power poles. They are working to restore power to the high school up the street. I am amazed at how quickly these crews come together to execute.
(credit: Derek Rinaldo)
My parents don’t need the gas cans I return to them. They’ve run a cord to their next-door neighbor who gave them a couple cans in exchange. I leave my daughter at their house. She learns how to play Sequence with grandma while I make another attempt at the bloodmobile.
Power of Persistence
There’s only one attendant at the bloodmobile when I arrive. She tells me per policy she can’t do anything with me until her partner comes back with lunch.
Fortunately, this may only take another 10 minutes. She gives me paperwork to start on for the meantime.
Her partner returns with a pizza and sees me. She is excited to have a donor with my blood type. Plasma is their greatest need, so she starts setting up the machine.
She remembers in the rush of it she needs to check my iron first. Her partner steps in to help.
First prick comes out 12.3. Too low. I’m hoping it was because she went too close to the joint.
The other attendant comes over, visibly anxious that this won’t work. She pricks the finger on my other hand and gives several hard squeezes.
12.7. Higher, but still not enough.
She puts her back into the next squeezes as she pulls. There has to be some good blood in there.
It comes back 12.2. We all sigh in defeat. No donation today.
I have my oxygen mask on but can’t do anyone else much good.
Making the Best of It
I have a little signal in the parking lot. It gives me a chance to update engineers at work who are helping our plant recover.
We plan some roof repairs as I try to send pictures. There’s also some inspections scheduled that can still happen later this week. At least we can assemble a plan.
Attempts to startup the grid in Thomson failed today. Georgia Power will try again tomorrow. The plant can’t startup, which gives me another day with the family.
The generator and toaster oven allows me some fun with dinner. A package of chicken nuggets thawed out but hasn’t gone bad. The tomato sauce I thought was in the pantry was diced tomatoes. I plug in the blender to liquify them. Throw some Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and shredded mozzarella that survived on top of the rest and I have makeshift Chicken Parmesan. It earns a few cheers.
As we start to wind down, I remember the computer has a DVD drive. I plug it into the power strip with the fish tank, hold my breath, and say a prayer. Luckily, the GFCI holds when I turn on the computer.
I throw some toddler mattresses on the kitchen floor so we can have a movie night. It’s a little hard to hear over the generator, but tonight is closer to normal. And it gives the older kids a chance to play another game of Sequence with dad.
I couldn’t help much out there, but I could bring a little more normalcy to the house. The line crews are getting closer on the main roads outside our subdivision. We should get back to normal soon.
Interested in helping other victims of Hurricane Helene in Augusta? Many areas are still without power or easy access to food.
I’m sponsoring a fundraiser for Golden Harvest Food Bank. This group offers direct help in my area. Contribute today to get these good people back on their feet.
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There’s more adventure to come. See what happens on Day 6.
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