Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for February 12, 2009 CAIRO - POWER PROBLEMS

On a personal note...

Power to the Retired CAT Mansion (aka My Crib) was off a total of four hours! However, once it quit raining and I didn't have to worry about my sump pump not having power...things were cool. And, since the temperature was pleasant outside, things WERE cool...NOT cold!

Cairo Storm Recovery Round Two

By Ryan Kruger

CAIRO - At one point Wednesday afternoon nearly three fourths of Ameren's customers in Alexander County were without power. The lights are back on for all but a few. But the wind storms still caused more damage in communities still cleaning up from the last storm. Chainsaws are an important commodity in Cairo right now. Dolph Booth has spent the last few days sawing the trees in his neighbors yard.

"Some people need help so we all kind of stick together to try to help out," said Booth.

But there's something eerily familiar about this sight. Only two weeks ago ice knocked out power to the entire city and toppled trees and power lines. The strong winds only added to the damage.

"It's really hard to tell because there was so much damage from the ice there were a lot of trees that were just barely hanging on and the wind just finished them off," said Regina Wells.

Limbs continue to dangle in some places. Kids will likely stay away from St. Mary's Park in Cairo until this debris can be cleared from the playground equipment. In town cars have to swerve back and forth to avoid the large piles on the side of the roads. But unlike the last storm folks weren't stuck in the dark for long.

"The power was going off and on it wasn't too bad though, about five or 10 minutes," said Booth.

Regina Wells is finally able to clear the space by her driveway. She says one storm was bad enough and now here's another.

"That's the story, the hard work, the aftermath, the cleaning, the repairing," said Wells.

The repairing will go on to clear the damage from two rounds of bad luck.

"It was unfortunate some of the things that did occur but you got to see what you were made of," said Wells.

Though folks in Cairo say things are getting better. A lot of the debris has been removed. Though this latest wind storm certainly didn't help things.