So, I was in the bathtub when the fan went off.
The lights, too.
Very quiet and peaceful. Since I have the second best view in Port Alberni, I could see that everything north of Dry Creek was without power.
The computer was out, of course. And my old phones rely on wifi, so they weren't going to get anything. But the new cell has some data on the contract, so I was able to confirm that, yes, Emergency Support Services had been activated. Not for the power outage as much as the fact that Highway 4 was closed. A tree had fallen on a logging truck. ("Revenge! Revenge!")
So I found some clothes, grabbed a number of flashlight type tools, and one of my ESS colleagues kindly picked me up and we headed for Echo Centre (as usual). The usual bedlam ensued, but we were ready for the crowds in short order. The Powers-That-Be determined that we had more than enough volunteers on hand, so I was among those tapped to go home and get ready for a midnight shift. As we were leaving, there was a woman in a car who sounded rather desperate and wanted to know when it would be open. We told her that the doors would be opening up in a few minutes.
Mind you, we also noted that there was a tremendously strong smell of marijuana smoke from the car ...
It was also evident that a lot of people (and companies) had *no* preparation for *any* kind of emergency. (Come and join us as volunteers! You get training! On how to get you and your family ready!)
Midnight shift never came. Nobody showed up (including our pothead), and the site was deactivated around 11 pm.
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