It was 6:14 pm. I went to the kitchen to check my casserole in the oven. Then the lights went out.
dark streets - the glitter is raindrops reflecting due to the flash
Immediately, I went to the meter cupboard to check the circuits. They were all in the right positions. A minute later, a neighbor called to ask me whether I had electricity. It was clear that it was not only my place. Then a friend that lives 2 kilometers away called with the same issue. We would meet online at 8 pm - what now?
Another friend called to say that their alarm company said that the electricity would return at around 8:30pm. We were experiencing the first BLACKOUT we have ever had to the best of our knowledge.
It was nice to get the calls from concerned friends but I needed to excuse myself. My daughter was calling. She had left shortly before with a friend to get ice cream at the supermarket. It is autumn and already dark by 5pm. She said very excitedly,
“Mommy - the streetlights are out! It's dark everywhere. We cannot go into the supermarket."
She was 5 minutes away. I told them to return home immediately.
"Everyone has to leave their shopping baskets and exit the supermarket," she explained further.
I looked outside. I could see the skyline with hotels in the distance - all lit up. I guess different charging stations, service different neighbourhoods. I receive more calls. Some friends have electricity - some didn't. For all of us - it seemed bizarre.
With no electricity - there would be no casserole as it's an electric oven. The refrigerator will stop. The internet is off. A whole host of things would or could all come to a halt. Things that we've never thought about before really. It was never necessary to be truly prepared for a blackout. There's been interruptions during the day but for those we are forewarned. However, this power outage caught us off-guard. We were not forewarned and it's occurring at night - so yes - it's the true definition of a BLACKOUT.
There was no time to waste. The candles were lit and leftovers warmed up on our gas stove. My family and I ate together. Then I left them in the still warm house - as the friend that I should meet online had arrived outside. She conducts a webinar and I am one of the co-hosts. The show must go on. 😊 We decided to go to one of her relatives a few kilometers away. They had electricity. It was cosier than going to a hotel.
Despite the car lights, it seems strange to drive on streets
without street lights overhead. We could hear cars honking their horns nearby. This type of noise pollution is not customary here.
Upon arrival at the relatives - it was a welcomed sight to see street and the decorative christmas lights.
On our drive back home after the webinar, we discussed how we take things for granted. We assume certain services will always be there because that is what we are accustomed to. We are adults, so we know what to do in these situations but we have never had to do them before.
We do know what to expect at least:
- the refrigerator/freezer should be kept closed as much as possible
- with no internet - we can use our mobiles (assuming it was charged)
- the boiler will not have hot water after a while - neither will there be heating in the dwelling
We realised how lucky we are that this is not a frequent occurrence. We are well aware that there are places that do not have this privilege. After 1 hour and 20 minutes the electricity was back on. Shortly thereafter, the internet as well. All was restored. However, I think this experience brought a few things to "light". We need to be grateful for what we have. In addition, things cannot be taken for granted.
This saying was very apropos:
“Without the darkness, we can’t really appreciate the light.” David
Archuleta
All photos are my own
