YOUR COMMENTS

An electrical engineer I had the honor to know, who used to work for New England Power (now National Grid) said that underground wiring posed problems of its own. When there is a fault in a line, it is harder to diagnose and find, than when there is a line in view overhead. As a Boston, MA resident, I have often experienced power outages: in severe wet weather, flooding of transformers can wreak havoc with power delivery. Electrolysis splits water into hydrogen and oxygen, and a spark can cause an underground explosion. If you have ever been near to a manhole, when its cover is blown high into the air, you won't soon forget it.
- Caroline, Boston, MA and New Castle, NH

- Michael S. Cullen, Berlin, Germany

how long does it take to drive across germany? an hour and a half, maybe two?

come drive across the u.s.

maybe, since GM is owned by the germans, we can ask them to "bail out" our utility commission AND have our lines put underground.
- scott, chichester

I've seen plenty of above ground wires in Germany, France, Spain, UK, Italy. As I recall an ice storm took out most of France in 1999. Perhaps Mr. Cullen could offer an explanation as to how all those buries lines left a million houses without power.
- Tony Nelson, Brentwood, NH

This is for the people who live in dover. Most of the power is back on to central ave, whittier and sixth street, also silver street. Also there is power restored to most of the side roads off of washington street , including roads between arch, lexington and belknap. The major power outages within town are the area of town over by the high school, (route 107) heading into town via the underpass. Also those roads on the side between 107 and silver street seem to be without power as of 5:30 this evening. I hope that this helps and that anyone who reads this from any part of NE and is without power, that you are safe and warm, with family friends and loved ones.
- Theresa, Dover

Bryan, you need to understand how many people dont have power in the same situation as you are...they follow a certain pattern - Hospitals, then Medically Fragile, MAIN ROADS, then all the side ones. You are no more important than the other 200,000 people on side roads just like you and me...Just deal with it!
- Chris, Londonderry NH

what is awful about this entire thing is the stupidity and the greed. IF you need a generator, and you BUY ONE, KEEP IT! It's not like it's the ONLY time that this is going to happen. YOUR PURCHASE of a generator does nothing more than prevents someone else, who desperately needs one, from purchasing one. Your returning of your purchase, and yelling at people because of YOUR stupidity just shows nothing more than your selfish stupidity at its finest. I watched many people fighting with retailers over these things, then you end up returning one??? stupid fools.

Again, you live in New England, this is NOT the last time that something like this is going to happen, GUARANTEED!
- scott, chichester

The power and communications infrastructure in this country is among the worst in the world and equal to what third world countries have. As the first poster in this discussion said, this could not happen in Germany because most of their system is underground, where it belongs. Not only is our system very vulnerable to weather or terrorist activity but it is extremely unsightly. Highways in most of Europe are totaly uncluttered by transmission poles and they could be here also if the power and communications industry cared enough.
- Bill, Tuftonboro

Unfortunately PSNH did not learn any lessons from the 98 storm. PSNH has been extremely lax in trimming powerline ROWs, resulting in so much limbage readily available to take out their lines. Anything to save a buck and pad the pockets of investors. Hey, Martin Murray, why doesn't your Company heed some of it's own advice, and next time "plan accordingly"!
- Thomas Thorpe, Portsmouth, NH

Sara, maybe you are ok with eating food that has been left to ROT. But sorry, I wouldn't eat milk or cheese that wasn't kept refrigerated.
- Greg, Manchester

Sarah: Maybe they did- or at least tried. There are strange laws that govern the usage of food (sometimes for a good reason, others not so sensible). I have friends in the hotel business. They are not able to donate the excess from such things as buffets. Once it leaves the kitchen (is served) it can not go out again.
- sally, candia, nh

Now I'm wondering why Hannaford couldn't donate that food they threw away to the soup kitchen?? It wasn't bad and they have dumpsters full of cheese, milk and frozen food. Do they even know how many people that could have fed? Or even all of these Shelter's that have people that don't have power that could have fed them too.
- sara, manchester, nh

Brian from Germany,

There are many places in NH that have underground utility lines and many places across the US have underground utility lines. In NH, unfortunately, most of our ground is rock or swamp and very expensive to dig in, and almost all of our transmission stations are still above ground.
- Pete, Swanzey NH USA

Regarding the picture of the Williams' in Londonderry...I would suggest moving the logs and the furniture away from the fireplace and placing that screen back in place so that a worse tragedy is averted. People need to be smart about alternative heating! Case in point.
- Steve, Concord

I'm disappointed (upset is a better word) that PSNH restored power to the homes on Routes 111 and 111a in Nashua, but ignored the houses that reside in between those two routes. I live 500 feet off of Rt 111 and we're still without power. Our roads are passable, there is no major tree damage on the lines on our road, yet we have no power. I haven't seen line crews in the area since Friday. The homes on 111 and 111a are more of a priority to PSNH than those that branch off of those roads? I'm very frustrated right now.
- Bryan, Nashua

Excuse my butting in. In most European places power and communication lines are BELOW ground and difficult to disrupt by inclement weather. Perhaps NH can get a program to bury such lines on Pres-Elect's agenda to provide jobs by improving the infrastructures of the US. That would be killing two birds with one stone.
Michael S. Cullen
Berlin, Germany
- Michael S. Cullen, Berlin, Germany