Families Make Do And Wait For Power To Be Restored

New Hampshire wasn’t hit nearly as hard as our friends in New York and New Jersey, but Hurricane Sandy did plenty of damage during her short stay here.

Sandy caused millions of dollars in damage this week and power outages peaked at 210,000 during the storm. Thousands of homes in the state are still in the dark and could remain that way until next week.

PSNH and other utility companies have been working around the clock to restore power, but Amherst is seeing slow results at the moment. Although power has been restored to the schools, there were still 819 homes without power in town Wednesday night.

Heather Ignaszewski was still without power on Wednesday at her home on Blueberry Hill Road. Her family prepared well enough for the storm and are patiently awaiting for PSNH to restore power to their home.

“I know they are working hard,” said  Ignaszewski. “They will get to us.”

She is not expecting that to happen until next week, but has prepared for the wait by charging up portable devices for entertainment. As a bonus, her son has been reading a lot since the power went out.

Her family has seen plenty of support from her neighbors who do have power. They have opened their doors to others in need of an electrical outlet or a shower.

Joan Little of Northfield Road was the only one in her house when the storm hit on Monday, since her husband and daughter were out of state looking at colleges. Her neighbors were a huge help after her home lost power.

“I have great neighbors that came and helped,” she said.My friends helped me hook up the generator, since my husband is the one who knows who to do that.”

Little is hoping to get power back soon so she can stop running the generator, but said at least the storm wasn’t as bad here as it was in other areas of New England.

Laurie Marshall Holbrook of Deer Hollow Drive luckily bought a generator last year before Snowtober. 

“It always seems like we are the last ones to go back online,” she said.

The generator has been a big help and allowed her to help others who have no means to power their homes. 

“We have been running a sort of bed and breakfast here, “said Holbrook.

She said it is odd that her neighborhood usually loses power in storms, since the power lines are buried underground in the area. 

While her home has power, it does not have any internet access, which is a problem for the younger generation. 

“My senior has been going to houses with internet to get his homework done. The kids can’t be off the grid.”

Families without power have been visiting local restaurants for food, and going to places like Hampshire Hills in Milford for relief.

Hurricane Sandy was a big storm, but every Amherst resident interviewed said that Snowtober was much, much worse. Their current experience is not as bad as having no power after a cold fall snowstorm.