Power was restored to most of local rural areas fairly quickly after the July 20 wind storm.
FortisBC said that power to Christina Lake was restored by the afternoon of July 21 and residents of the North Fork Road, Granby Road and other affected areas were up and running by July 23, although some had electricity back by July 22.
Nevertheless, it must’ve seemed like an eternity for people who lost power.
It wasn’t exactly like the reality TV series Survivor, where contestants are dropped off at a faraway island without the benefits of technology and modern conveniences, but people likely had to live in a manner more primitive than they were used to.
No power for refrigerators, computers or television.
Things that are usually taken for granted – using outlets to power and charge cellphones and laptop computers, the simple flicking of a switch to light a room, even the house lights that illuminated areas like North Fork Road and other rural roads were gone.
With no TV or Internet, people likely had to read or watch DVDs on laptops and if they did read, it had to be done by flashlight or candlelight.
People who had the benefit of generators could continue to run fridges but those without may have lost food as not everyone has a generator.
Some people may have had to conserve water with the use of bottled water.
I, like many others, found myself flipping switches to lights that didn’t work – it seems like a reflex to turn the lights on when entering a dark room.
I had to charge my electrical equipment at the office and I would go to bed early as it seemed a lot easier to fall asleep in the dark – no latenight talk shows or night-time news.
Showering had to be done with the assistance of a flashlight hung from the bathroom mirror and it seemed a little strange to look out my window and see darkness, save for a little light from the night sky.
But as mentioned, power returned by the 23 and I, and others in the area, were free to stare at my computer screen while the TV was on.
We were free to leave the sink running and leave the lights on, just like we had done before the wind storm hit on July 20, 2012.