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It snuck up on us, the ice storm did. When we woke up on Wednesday, January 7, 1998, we weren’t even worried. Thousands of us had lost our power, but we’d lived through that plenty of times. The outside world, after all, had become a beautiful ice palace. Many of us shuffled out with our cameras and marveled at Mother Nature’s glittering artwork.
But throughout the day, the gentle rain kept falling and freezing. Trees began snapping. Vehicles became entombed in ice. Roads were soon impassable. Power outages multiplied. By Thursday morning, Gov. Angus King had declared a state of emergency—and made an appearance on a radio station called WVOM, a conservative news-talk station recently purchased by California-native Jerry Evans.
When the storm hit, Evans suspended all regular programming and advertising and dedicated his station exclusively to ice storm coverage, 24 hours a day, for the storm’s duration. Thousands of Mainers of all political persuasions kept their battery-operated radios locked in to 103.9 FM. While many traditional forms of media were crippled—including Maine’s Emergency Broadcast System—and others soon returned to their regular format, WVOM did what needed doing: They kept us updated, let us vent, connected needs and solutions, gave us safety lectures, and made us laugh.
As the days wore on, it was clear the Ice Storm of ’98 would go down in history as Maine’s most devastating natural disaster. About 800,000 people, or 67% of the state, would eventually lose power. Crews worked around the clock, coming eventually from as far away as North Carolina. Four people died from storm-related injuries: one from a fall, one from a tree, two from carbon monoxide poisoning. More may have died, if it were not for the survival guidance from the WVOM crew, broadcasting by candlelight from a Bangor basement. WVOM became storm central, not only to the thousands of electricity-starved Mainers, but also to the power companies, police, sheriffs, government officials, and relief organizations. The station was, if not the eye of the storm, both its mouthpiece and its listening ear.
The following radio transcripts are excerpted from Jerry Evans’ book Only in Maine: WVOM and the Ice Storm of 1998. Evans has since sold the station and is now operating radio stations in Nevada. But his decision to turn over “The Voice of Maine” to public service is still remembered by thousands of Ice Storm ‘98 survivors who depended on their transitor radios as much as they did firewood and candlelight.
Thursday, January 8, 1998
At noon, Gov. Angus King issues a Proclamation of Civil Emergency for the state of Maine.
Jerry Evans: We’ll keep the station up and running as long as we can. I don’t think we could even attempt to get any more fuel up the mountain, but we’re going to keep going until then.
Gov. King: Well, do it, will ya, because you’re rendering a real service. The biggest thing we can supply at this point is information.
Evans: Exactly. I have your proclamation right in front of me. Tell the public what this means.
Gov. King: Well, right at noon, I proclaimed what is called a Civil Emergency. What that does is legally allow us to use National Guard resources to deal with this situation. I talked with CMP about an hour and a half ago, and they are telling me now that they view this as the most serious electrical emergency we have ever had in the history of this state.
Evans: We had them on the line with us about 15 minutes ago, and they did refer to Hurricane Bob in 1991, I believe. They are saying it’s worse than that—they have 205,000 customers out right now.
Gov. King: Well, that number keeps growing. It was 185,000 about two hours ago, and that’s the real problem. They’re not able to get ahead of it, and it looks like we’re going to have another 24 to 38 hours of this kind of weather. So even if you have power now, you may not later tonight. . . On a winter night in January in Maine, that’s no joke. So what we’re trying to do is set up shelters, and if people wonder where to go if they’ve lost their power, I think the best advice is to call the local police, fire, or town office . . .
One thing I really want to emphasize, and I hope you will as the day and evening go on, is that we have to think about our neighbors in this situation. If you’re warm and have a woodstove and you’re in good shape, try to stop and think about your neighbors who are elderly or who are disabled in some way—we have to be sure that they’re OK. My nightmare is that somebody out there who is elderly and not able to get to a shelter and doesn’t have any heat all night . . . I was just sitting down with Earl Adams when you called, who is the head of the National Guard, and basically my instructions to him are to err on the side of helping. We’ll worry about paying for it later . . .
Evans: Thank you very much for the information, and a very good thought—think of your neighbor. If you’re lucky enough to have power and a woodstove, be sure to check on your neighbor and see if they need any help.
Gov. King: That’s the word for tonight. And we’ll make it through; Maine people know how to look after one another, and now’s the time to do it!
Later that evening
Evans: The weather should change for the better by midday tomorrow, so basically think about trying to get through the night and by tomorrow morning you’ll have some better news. We’re going to continue to provide the news to you as we can.
Caller: This is Georgia; I picked up on something that a lady said when you
asked her if she had warmth and she said, “I have a car full of gas.” You should warn people not to go sit in their cars and run their cars.
Evans: Well, I thought she meant that she had a car full of gas that she could go to another location. If not, don’t even think about sitting in your car and running it! Not in a garage or even outdoors. There are shelters opening, and I have some updates.
New Caller: This is Ralph. You know I’m an older man, and I’m calling about the person who called earlier worrying about their baby, that they didn’t have heat and they were going to try to find a place to stay. It might be more dangerous in these conditions taking the baby out. Ask any grandmother, especially one out in the country, and she’ll tell you all you got do is go to bed with that baby and put the baby in between you, and that baby won’t even know the heat’s off!
New Caller: I drove up from Portland to Milo today, and the roads from Augusta to Newport were horrible. I’ve never seen anything like it and I’m 44 years old. The trees are beautiful, they’ve all bowed their heads to God, that’s for sure, but I think much more of this and we’re going to see an awful mess on the interstate as well. I have power, but I’m drawing off water and preparing to lose it anytime.
New Caller: I’m calling from Winterport where we’ve been without power since midnight. I was wondering if any listeners would have suggestions for taking care of tropical fish that are no longer in tropical water? No bubbler, no heater. We have a fireplace going and lots of candles.
Evans: Move them near the fireplace—or you might try some egg and a little breadcrumbs, or batter, how about a little olive oil and some onions? I hear those tropicals are good with onions.
Caller: I can’t even cook the darn things, though . . .
New Caller: . . Hi, I just called to urge parents to keep their children in. I was driving down Essex Street and a huge branch came down and crashed on the sidewalk. About 100 yards down the sidewalk there were three children walking along. I t could have killed them! We’re on Essex Street, and we just had some fireworks. I don’t know what happened, but I saw a huge glow and then our power went out . . .
Evans: We have an update from the Associated Press. They’re calling this “one of the worst ice storms to hit northern New England in years, currently testing the endurance of even the most winter-hardened Yankee.” . . . but let’s go back to the phone lines. Now, for those of you who are in need, I think what’s more important is to find out where you can get some help. One thing the governor stressed, and one of our listeners did it earlier, they checked with a neighbor and offered help. That’s one thing you can do. Don’t be embarrassed to go seek help as well. Hopefully the phone is working, and if you need any particular help, if you’re out in a very remote area, call us and we’ll see what we can do for you . . .
Saturday, January 10, 1998
Charlie Horne and Tom Morelli are on the air.
Caller: I have a baby and I’m cold — she chokes back tears - I’m in Bucksport . . . I just need someone to help me get some heat — speaking through tears — I can’t go anywhere.
Horne: Just hang in there and let us know where you are.
Morelli: We’ll get someone to you—hold on, one of our volunteers will find out where you are and will get someone out to help you.
She calls back in 15 minutes — three cars have already arrived.
New Caller: I’m calling from Monroe and I need help . . . This is just sickening . . . There’s a dog that’s freezing.
Horne: Where’s the dog?
Caller: It’s chained up outside . . . and I think it’s frozen to the ground.
Morelli: Oh man.
Caller: I tried to unchain it, but the chain is frozen. If there’s someone with bolt cutters that can come—we don’t have much time.
Horne: Where are the owners?
Caller: I don’t know. I think they left when the storm started. I hope someone can help, we don’t have much time.
Tom: If there is anyone near Monroe that can help and maybe a vet that can look at this poor animal, please call us and let us know.
A few minutes later
New Caller: We’ll take that dog.
A few MORE minutes later
Caller: We’ve got the dog.
Sunday, January 11, 1998
Eight miles of transmission lines are on the ground Down East.
Evans: We’re going to go to Bill Cohen from Bangor Hydro. Again, Bill, there have been a lot of people who have aimed some criticism on why you didn’t sign a contract on the plan (Down East). I don’t even want to cover any of that tonight. Everybody knows that hindsight is 20/20. You just don’t expect an emergency of this magnitude. This is just amazing how long it’s going on.
Cohen: Yeah, and I think that when you’re in a crisis and all of a sudden you’re told that eight miles of transmission lines are on the ground and it could be three months to get it done, you start saying that’s unacceptable, I got to do it in 48 hours, you take people’s word for what it is, and I guess we found out whose word is good and whose isn’t . . .
Evans: People are asking, and I know this puts you on the spot, but you’ve been put on the spot before here. How is this going to affect our rates?
Cohen: At this point, we really can’t say. We’ve stayed focused all through the week, in order to move forward to get people’s power back. Obviously this is something that we’re going to have to deal with, but that is not the crisis today. Let’s get the crisis solved and move on.
Evans: Do you have any estimate on how much money this is costing you?
Cohen: There is no way to know now.
Evans: A listener asked about Orrington and Holden.
Cohen: Crews were in Holden for part of the day. Orrington—I believe we got to the point where we had to get our trucks to another point. It’s tough to prioritize . . .
Caller: This is Nellie down in Jonesport. I realize Bangor Hydro’s been working hard, and out there in this cold, but I think Mr. Cohen should come down to Washington County and spend a few days with us down here. They have power in Machias, where they have Irving, Shop ‘n Save, and us little people in Jonesport are trying to do all we can . . . he’ll send me my light bills . . . I am very frustrated . . .
Evans: Thank you for the call. That’s what we call venting and I know she feels a little better for doing it . . .
Monday, January 12, 1998
Caller: I’m in Machias. I’ve been listening to all these comments about the problems Down East. I guess really what I want to say is people ought to stop complaining and do what they have to do. Use common sense to get through this! Complaining isn’t going to do any good.
Evans: It’s pretty hard not to after six days, though.
Caller: I’ve been here for six days and I’ve had power on and off, and that’s fine. We’re warm, the kids are OK, all their friends have come over, they’ve gone sledding, we sit in the evening and talk! What a joy that is!
Evans: Well, that’s one positive thing besides kids seeing their parents helping other people and hopefully growing up to do the same thing . . . you have good spirits—I hope some of what you got rubs off on some of the others listening tonight . . .
Bill Cohen is back with us tonight. Bill, thanks for checking back.
Cohen: Actually, I wasn’t going to check back, but I need some help! I have just been into our service center and we believe that we’ve got all of the dairy farmers back on. But, if we’ve missed a dairy farmer, please call the service center. . . . Now, I know we’ve got some folks out there with animals who are going to say, “Well, what about me?” And again, this is one of those hard messages to deliver, but tonight, if you are a dairy farmer and you’re not back on, we’d like to get a crew there . . .
Evans: I have a couple of dozen Jerseys in my backyard, Bill . . .
Cohen: I suppose you have them up on the mountain, too!
Evans: You know, I roped in a bunch of them the other day and they’re sitting up there right now . . . What is the risk to the livestock besides the temperature, but in particular dairy cows?
Cohen: I’m not a farmer like I’m not an electrical engineer, guys. They’ve got to be milked or there are some problems. We’re getting to that point now where we can identify groups. We have focused tonight on making sure all nursing homes are up. Now we’re going to focus on dairy farms, we’re going to start looking at critical situations in the next day or so. Be patient with us . . .
Wednesday, January 14, 1998
Tom Gocze and Kim Bennett are on the air.
Bennett: I’d like to go over again the carbon monoxide buildup danger in your home if you are running a heater of any kind . . . If you have some symptoms like the flu, or maybe you’re feeling tired, your throat is scratchy, head achy, dizzy, sleepy, nausea, it may not be stress. I have a friend who just suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning because she was running a kerosene heater in her home and she had her window open. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough cross breeze to clear out the carbon monoxide. Once the symptoms appear they can be fatal in a very short amount of time—as little as three minutes! You can’t smell carbon monoxide, so you won’t be aware that way . . .
Gocze: A couple of other things: If you have any opportunity to get out to a store, get yourself a carbon monoxide detector. You really should have one around anyway if you burn anything in the home . . . we don’t want to lose anybody while we’re trying to survive through this . . .
Bennett: Tom, we have a call from Edward in Milbridge. He has a pretty serious situation and he’d like to get on.
Caller: I’m not doing so hot, but I’m getting a little hot under the collar . . . You can be patient just so long, but when you hear some of those big idiots say, “Oh, we’re getting there, but the outlying areas have to wait.” This is no outlying area!
Bennett: Where are you, Edward?
Caller: . . . I’ve been staying in the car. Sometimes I come in the house, but trying to keep warm—it gets too cold in the house, so I go out to the car—and I have some health problems. My closest relatives are down in Massachusetts and Connecticut.
Bennett: We have plenty of people, Edward, who are offering warm places to stay that are more comfortable than a shelter. Would you be willing to do that?
Caller: I’m not looking for a handout. I want what I paid for—
Bennett: . . . It would be wise for you to find a warm place to stay.
Caller: I got one—out in the car.
Bennett: Well, that’s not the wisest place to stay . . . have you been keeping your car running?
Caller: How can you keep the car warm if you don’t keep it running?
Gocze: Edward, do you have a window open to keep the fresh air coming in?
Caller: Nah, that only lets the heat out.
Bennett: Yes, but Edward, this isn’t a safe situation. Sometimes we just have to swallow hard and do what we have to do to keep our health . . .
Gocze: What kind of car are you in?
Caller: It’s a station wagon, white—
Sometime later
Gocze: We just got an update on the man in Milbridge who was in the car. He has been helped and he is in fine condition, so if you heard that call earlier he is fine.
Thursday, January 15, 1998
Scott Fish and Debra Plowman are at the controls.
Plowman: Hot news off the fax—CMP indicates that their outage count has fallen below 67,000, which is a huge drop—they were at 98,000 this morning . . . CMP stresses that people needing to report outages, fallen trees, or other related problems who haven’t done so, please call them immediately . . . U.S. Air Force transports began an airlift of line and tree crews from North Carolina, and new crews from Brunswick and Nova Scotia are scheduled to start working as soon as daylight comes. You have probably heard that other utilities are pulling back their people in anticipation of the storm that is going to hit in Massachusetts and New Hampshire over the weekend . . . so we’re bringing in people from south of the Mason-Dixon Line! I sure hope they’re dressed warm.
Caller: Hi! This is Joan in Hermon. We got our power back today after eight days. It was like a convoy coming down the road! It was just wonderful!
Fish: Like a band of angels!
Caller: Right—just like you guys! I turned on the TV, and just turned it off, because we’ve been listening to you all this time. I was a listener before the storm, and you guys deserve a lot of credit!
Fish: Thank you—I would agree with that, no false modesty, but I’ll tell you, I think what has really made this an experience is people such as yourself who have called the show. Boy, it’s been an incredible thing to be a part of . . .
Plowman: We found Grampa! Hello? Is this Grampa?
New Caller: Boy, we got electricity tonight! Oh, I love it, and we’re warming things up, and I’d like to announce that I have a granddaughter coming home tomorrow, Beth May, and she wouldn’t be able to come home if we had no heat! She’s brand new—oh, beautiful, just born the other day! Three days old!
Plowman: Well, now you’re going to have the best light of all coming into your home! . . . Make sure you write something down in that baby book about the great storm of ’98, what was happening when she was born!
Caller: Oh, yes! . . .
Remember the Ice Storm?
SOUNDS & SILENCE: For days, both inside and out, the atmosphere was marked by silence—no more constant hum of electrical devices. Outside, traffic noises were replaced by the gunshot-like sound of snapping trees, succumbing to the weight of the ice.
MEDIA MAYHEM: Maine Public Television remained off the air for most viewers for over a week; public radio was also silent for days. The Bangor Daily News was able to eek out 25,000 copies before the power failed on January 9. In southern Maine, competitors shared printing presses.
GRIM GRIDLOCK: Statewide, the storm destroyed nearly 3 million feet of wires and 3,000 utility poles. At the peak of the repair effort, CMP had nearly 3,000 workers in the field.
WATTS WANTED: Besides furnaces that would not run, other electric items storm sufferers realized they’d taken for granted included lights, refrigerators, stoves, hot water heaters, well pumps, TVs, computers, and portable phones.
MOVING OUT: While most Mainers toughed it out at home, about 3,000 took advantage of the 130 shelters statewide. Many more thousands moved in with friends or family who had woodstoves, generators, or power. Even Governor King had to move in with friends after losing power in his Brunswick home.
SWEET RELIEF: Gov. Angus King used his influence to get the Pentagon to use transport planes to fly utility trucks and their crews from North Carolina to help local crews catch up with the workload. Another small but sweet gesture: He also bought the entire stock of a Brunswick donut shop to distribute to shelters.
TOWERING HEROES: By the third day of the storm, WVOM was getting low on the propane needed to run the generators that were powering its radio tower atop Passadumkeag Mountain. Responding to on-air pleas for help, volunteers used snowmobiles to haul twenty-two 100-gallon tanks up the ice-covered mountain in severe winds, chopping through three feet of ice to remove the empty tanks. (Station owner Evans was also there, with pickax in hand.) On that same day, an off-duty scallop fisherman, Dan Placzek, risked his life climbing the radio tower to remove ice so the “Voice of Maine” could continue to be heard. Four days later, another trip up the mountain would be needed to replace the tanks.
KINDNESS OVERLOAD: Generosity was a common theme throughout the ice storm, made possible by WVOM’s information relay services. In the commentary section of Only in Maine, volunteer announcer Tom Gocze relates a typical story: “A pregnant woman called in who was in a trailer with several children, and she had no heat, no food or milk, no water, and within 30 minutes after being on the air she called back and told us she had enough milk for a dairy farm, she had wood enough to build two houses, and to please thank everybody, but that’s enough!”
But throughout the day, the gentle rain kept falling and freezing. Trees began snapping. Vehicles became entombed in ice. Roads were soon impassable. Power outages multiplied. By Thursday morning, Gov. Angus King had declared a state of emergency—and made an appearance on a radio station called WVOM, a conservative news-talk station recently purchased by California-native Jerry Evans.
When the storm hit, Evans suspended all regular programming and advertising and dedicated his station exclusively to ice storm coverage, 24 hours a day, for the storm’s duration. Thousands of Mainers of all political persuasions kept their battery-operated radios locked in to 103.9 FM. While many traditional forms of media were crippled—including Maine’s Emergency Broadcast System—and others soon returned to their regular format, WVOM did what needed doing: They kept us updated, let us vent, connected needs and solutions, gave us safety lectures, and made us laugh.
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As the days wore on, it was clear the Ice Storm of ’98 would go down in history as Maine’s most devastating natural disaster. About 800,000 people, or 67% of the state, would eventually lose power. Crews worked around the clock, coming eventually from as far away as North Carolina. Four people died from storm-related injuries: one from a fall, one from a tree, two from carbon monoxide poisoning. More may have died, if it were not for the survival guidance from the WVOM crew, broadcasting by candlelight from a Bangor basement. WVOM became storm central, not only to the thousands of electricity-starved Mainers, but also to the power companies, police, sheriffs, government officials, and relief organizations. The station was, if not the eye of the storm, both its mouthpiece and its listening ear.
The following radio transcripts are excerpted from Jerry Evans’ book Only in Maine: WVOM and the Ice Storm of 1998. Evans has since sold the station and is now operating radio stations in Nevada. But his decision to turn over “The Voice of Maine” to public service is still remembered by thousands of Ice Storm ‘98 survivors who depended on their transitor radios as much as they did firewood and candlelight.
Thursday, January 8, 1998
At noon, Gov. Angus King issues a Proclamation of Civil Emergency for the state of Maine.
Jerry Evans: We’ll keep the station up and running as long as we can. I don’t think we could even attempt to get any more fuel up the mountain, but we’re going to keep going until then.
Gov. King: Well, do it, will ya, because you’re rendering a real service. The biggest thing we can supply at this point is information.
Evans: Exactly. I have your proclamation right in front of me. Tell the public what this means.
Gov. King: Well, right at noon, I proclaimed what is called a Civil Emergency. What that does is legally allow us to use National Guard resources to deal with this situation. I talked with CMP about an hour and a half ago, and they are telling me now that they view this as the most serious electrical emergency we have ever had in the history of this state.
Evans: We had them on the line with us about 15 minutes ago, and they did refer to Hurricane Bob in 1991, I believe. They are saying it’s worse than that—they have 205,000 customers out right now.
Gov. King: Well, that number keeps growing. It was 185,000 about two hours ago, and that’s the real problem. They’re not able to get ahead of it, and it looks like we’re going to have another 24 to 38 hours of this kind of weather. So even if you have power now, you may not later tonight. . . On a winter night in January in Maine, that’s no joke. So what we’re trying to do is set up shelters, and if people wonder where to go if they’ve lost their power, I think the best advice is to call the local police, fire, or town office . . .
One thing I really want to emphasize, and I hope you will as the day and evening go on, is that we have to think about our neighbors in this situation. If you’re warm and have a woodstove and you’re in good shape, try to stop and think about your neighbors who are elderly or who are disabled in some way—we have to be sure that they’re OK. My nightmare is that somebody out there who is elderly and not able to get to a shelter and doesn’t have any heat all night . . . I was just sitting down with Earl Adams when you called, who is the head of the National Guard, and basically my instructions to him are to err on the side of helping. We’ll worry about paying for it later . . .
Evans: Thank you very much for the information, and a very good thought—think of your neighbor. If you’re lucky enough to have power and a woodstove, be sure to check on your neighbor and see if they need any help.
Gov. King: That’s the word for tonight. And we’ll make it through; Maine people know how to look after one another, and now’s the time to do it!
Later that evening
Evans: The weather should change for the better by midday tomorrow, so basically think about trying to get through the night and by tomorrow morning you’ll have some better news. We’re going to continue to provide the news to you as we can.
Caller: This is Georgia; I picked up on something that a lady said when you
asked her if she had warmth and she said, “I have a car full of gas.” You should warn people not to go sit in their cars and run their cars.
Evans: Well, I thought she meant that she had a car full of gas that she could go to another location. If not, don’t even think about sitting in your car and running it! Not in a garage or even outdoors. There are shelters opening, and I have some updates.
New Caller: This is Ralph. You know I’m an older man, and I’m calling about the person who called earlier worrying about their baby, that they didn’t have heat and they were going to try to find a place to stay. It might be more dangerous in these conditions taking the baby out. Ask any grandmother, especially one out in the country, and she’ll tell you all you got do is go to bed with that baby and put the baby in between you, and that baby won’t even know the heat’s off!
New Caller: I drove up from Portland to Milo today, and the roads from Augusta to Newport were horrible. I’ve never seen anything like it and I’m 44 years old. The trees are beautiful, they’ve all bowed their heads to God, that’s for sure, but I think much more of this and we’re going to see an awful mess on the interstate as well. I have power, but I’m drawing off water and preparing to lose it anytime.
New Caller: I’m calling from Winterport where we’ve been without power since midnight. I was wondering if any listeners would have suggestions for taking care of tropical fish that are no longer in tropical water? No bubbler, no heater. We have a fireplace going and lots of candles.
Evans: Move them near the fireplace—or you might try some egg and a little breadcrumbs, or batter, how about a little olive oil and some onions? I hear those tropicals are good with onions.
Caller: I can’t even cook the darn things, though . . .
New Caller: . . Hi, I just called to urge parents to keep their children in. I was driving down Essex Street and a huge branch came down and crashed on the sidewalk. About 100 yards down the sidewalk there were three children walking along. I t could have killed them! We’re on Essex Street, and we just had some fireworks. I don’t know what happened, but I saw a huge glow and then our power went out . . .
Evans: We have an update from the Associated Press. They’re calling this “one of the worst ice storms to hit northern New England in years, currently testing the endurance of even the most winter-hardened Yankee.” . . . but let’s go back to the phone lines. Now, for those of you who are in need, I think what’s more important is to find out where you can get some help. One thing the governor stressed, and one of our listeners did it earlier, they checked with a neighbor and offered help. That’s one thing you can do. Don’t be embarrassed to go seek help as well. Hopefully the phone is working, and if you need any particular help, if you’re out in a very remote area, call us and we’ll see what we can do for you . . .
Saturday, January 10, 1998
Charlie Horne and Tom Morelli are on the air.
Caller: I have a baby and I’m cold — she chokes back tears - I’m in Bucksport . . . I just need someone to help me get some heat — speaking through tears — I can’t go anywhere.
Horne: Just hang in there and let us know where you are.
Morelli: We’ll get someone to you—hold on, one of our volunteers will find out where you are and will get someone out to help you.
She calls back in 15 minutes — three cars have already arrived.
New Caller: I’m calling from Monroe and I need help . . . This is just sickening . . . There’s a dog that’s freezing.
Horne: Where’s the dog?
Caller: It’s chained up outside . . . and I think it’s frozen to the ground.
Morelli: Oh man.
Caller: I tried to unchain it, but the chain is frozen. If there’s someone with bolt cutters that can come—we don’t have much time.
Horne: Where are the owners?
Caller: I don’t know. I think they left when the storm started. I hope someone can help, we don’t have much time.
Tom: If there is anyone near Monroe that can help and maybe a vet that can look at this poor animal, please call us and let us know.
A few minutes later
New Caller: We’ll take that dog.
A few MORE minutes later
Caller: We’ve got the dog.
Sunday, January 11, 1998
Eight miles of transmission lines are on the ground Down East.
Evans: We’re going to go to Bill Cohen from Bangor Hydro. Again, Bill, there have been a lot of people who have aimed some criticism on why you didn’t sign a contract on the plan (Down East). I don’t even want to cover any of that tonight. Everybody knows that hindsight is 20/20. You just don’t expect an emergency of this magnitude. This is just amazing how long it’s going on.
Cohen: Yeah, and I think that when you’re in a crisis and all of a sudden you’re told that eight miles of transmission lines are on the ground and it could be three months to get it done, you start saying that’s unacceptable, I got to do it in 48 hours, you take people’s word for what it is, and I guess we found out whose word is good and whose isn’t . . .
Evans: People are asking, and I know this puts you on the spot, but you’ve been put on the spot before here. How is this going to affect our rates?
Cohen: At this point, we really can’t say. We’ve stayed focused all through the week, in order to move forward to get people’s power back. Obviously this is something that we’re going to have to deal with, but that is not the crisis today. Let’s get the crisis solved and move on.
Evans: Do you have any estimate on how much money this is costing you?
Cohen: There is no way to know now.
Evans: A listener asked about Orrington and Holden.
Cohen: Crews were in Holden for part of the day. Orrington—I believe we got to the point where we had to get our trucks to another point. It’s tough to prioritize . . .
Caller: This is Nellie down in Jonesport. I realize Bangor Hydro’s been working hard, and out there in this cold, but I think Mr. Cohen should come down to Washington County and spend a few days with us down here. They have power in Machias, where they have Irving, Shop ‘n Save, and us little people in Jonesport are trying to do all we can . . . he’ll send me my light bills . . . I am very frustrated . . .
Evans: Thank you for the call. That’s what we call venting and I know she feels a little better for doing it . . .
Monday, January 12, 1998
Caller: I’m in Machias. I’ve been listening to all these comments about the problems Down East. I guess really what I want to say is people ought to stop complaining and do what they have to do. Use common sense to get through this! Complaining isn’t going to do any good.
Evans: It’s pretty hard not to after six days, though.
Caller: I’ve been here for six days and I’ve had power on and off, and that’s fine. We’re warm, the kids are OK, all their friends have come over, they’ve gone sledding, we sit in the evening and talk! What a joy that is!
Evans: Well, that’s one positive thing besides kids seeing their parents helping other people and hopefully growing up to do the same thing . . . you have good spirits—I hope some of what you got rubs off on some of the others listening tonight . . .
Bill Cohen is back with us tonight. Bill, thanks for checking back.
Cohen: Actually, I wasn’t going to check back, but I need some help! I have just been into our service center and we believe that we’ve got all of the dairy farmers back on. But, if we’ve missed a dairy farmer, please call the service center. . . . Now, I know we’ve got some folks out there with animals who are going to say, “Well, what about me?” And again, this is one of those hard messages to deliver, but tonight, if you are a dairy farmer and you’re not back on, we’d like to get a crew there . . .
Evans: I have a couple of dozen Jerseys in my backyard, Bill . . .
Cohen: I suppose you have them up on the mountain, too!
Evans: You know, I roped in a bunch of them the other day and they’re sitting up there right now . . . What is the risk to the livestock besides the temperature, but in particular dairy cows?
Cohen: I’m not a farmer like I’m not an electrical engineer, guys. They’ve got to be milked or there are some problems. We’re getting to that point now where we can identify groups. We have focused tonight on making sure all nursing homes are up. Now we’re going to focus on dairy farms, we’re going to start looking at critical situations in the next day or so. Be patient with us . . .
Wednesday, January 14, 1998
Tom Gocze and Kim Bennett are on the air.
Bennett: I’d like to go over again the carbon monoxide buildup danger in your home if you are running a heater of any kind . . . If you have some symptoms like the flu, or maybe you’re feeling tired, your throat is scratchy, head achy, dizzy, sleepy, nausea, it may not be stress. I have a friend who just suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning because she was running a kerosene heater in her home and she had her window open. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough cross breeze to clear out the carbon monoxide. Once the symptoms appear they can be fatal in a very short amount of time—as little as three minutes! You can’t smell carbon monoxide, so you won’t be aware that way . . .
Gocze: A couple of other things: If you have any opportunity to get out to a store, get yourself a carbon monoxide detector. You really should have one around anyway if you burn anything in the home . . . we don’t want to lose anybody while we’re trying to survive through this . . .
Bennett: Tom, we have a call from Edward in Milbridge. He has a pretty serious situation and he’d like to get on.
Caller: I’m not doing so hot, but I’m getting a little hot under the collar . . . You can be patient just so long, but when you hear some of those big idiots say, “Oh, we’re getting there, but the outlying areas have to wait.” This is no outlying area!
Bennett: Where are you, Edward?
Caller: . . . I’ve been staying in the car. Sometimes I come in the house, but trying to keep warm—it gets too cold in the house, so I go out to the car—and I have some health problems. My closest relatives are down in Massachusetts and Connecticut.
Bennett: We have plenty of people, Edward, who are offering warm places to stay that are more comfortable than a shelter. Would you be willing to do that?
Caller: I’m not looking for a handout. I want what I paid for—
Bennett: . . . It would be wise for you to find a warm place to stay.
Caller: I got one—out in the car.
Bennett: Well, that’s not the wisest place to stay . . . have you been keeping your car running?
Caller: How can you keep the car warm if you don’t keep it running?
Gocze: Edward, do you have a window open to keep the fresh air coming in?
Caller: Nah, that only lets the heat out.
Bennett: Yes, but Edward, this isn’t a safe situation. Sometimes we just have to swallow hard and do what we have to do to keep our health . . .
Gocze: What kind of car are you in?
Caller: It’s a station wagon, white—
Sometime later
Gocze: We just got an update on the man in Milbridge who was in the car. He has been helped and he is in fine condition, so if you heard that call earlier he is fine.
Thursday, January 15, 1998
Scott Fish and Debra Plowman are at the controls.
Plowman: Hot news off the fax—CMP indicates that their outage count has fallen below 67,000, which is a huge drop—they were at 98,000 this morning . . . CMP stresses that people needing to report outages, fallen trees, or other related problems who haven’t done so, please call them immediately . . . U.S. Air Force transports began an airlift of line and tree crews from North Carolina, and new crews from Brunswick and Nova Scotia are scheduled to start working as soon as daylight comes. You have probably heard that other utilities are pulling back their people in anticipation of the storm that is going to hit in Massachusetts and New Hampshire over the weekend . . . so we’re bringing in people from south of the Mason-Dixon Line! I sure hope they’re dressed warm.
Caller: Hi! This is Joan in Hermon. We got our power back today after eight days. It was like a convoy coming down the road! It was just wonderful!
Fish: Like a band of angels!
Caller: Right—just like you guys! I turned on the TV, and just turned it off, because we’ve been listening to you all this time. I was a listener before the storm, and you guys deserve a lot of credit!
Fish: Thank you—I would agree with that, no false modesty, but I’ll tell you, I think what has really made this an experience is people such as yourself who have called the show. Boy, it’s been an incredible thing to be a part of . . .
Plowman: We found Grampa! Hello? Is this Grampa?
New Caller: Boy, we got electricity tonight! Oh, I love it, and we’re warming things up, and I’d like to announce that I have a granddaughter coming home tomorrow, Beth May, and she wouldn’t be able to come home if we had no heat! She’s brand new—oh, beautiful, just born the other day! Three days old!
Plowman: Well, now you’re going to have the best light of all coming into your home! . . . Make sure you write something down in that baby book about the great storm of ’98, what was happening when she was born!
Caller: Oh, yes! . . .
Remember the Ice Storm?
SOUNDS & SILENCE: For days, both inside and out, the atmosphere was marked by silence—no more constant hum of electrical devices. Outside, traffic noises were replaced by the gunshot-like sound of snapping trees, succumbing to the weight of the ice.
MEDIA MAYHEM: Maine Public Television remained off the air for most viewers for over a week; public radio was also silent for days. The Bangor Daily News was able to eek out 25,000 copies before the power failed on January 9. In southern Maine, competitors shared printing presses.
GRIM GRIDLOCK: Statewide, the storm destroyed nearly 3 million feet of wires and 3,000 utility poles. At the peak of the repair effort, CMP had nearly 3,000 workers in the field.
WATTS WANTED: Besides furnaces that would not run, other electric items storm sufferers realized they’d taken for granted included lights, refrigerators, stoves, hot water heaters, well pumps, TVs, computers, and portable phones.
MOVING OUT: While most Mainers toughed it out at home, about 3,000 took advantage of the 130 shelters statewide. Many more thousands moved in with friends or family who had woodstoves, generators, or power. Even Governor King had to move in with friends after losing power in his Brunswick home.
SWEET RELIEF: Gov. Angus King used his influence to get the Pentagon to use transport planes to fly utility trucks and their crews from North Carolina to help local crews catch up with the workload. Another small but sweet gesture: He also bought the entire stock of a Brunswick donut shop to distribute to shelters.
TOWERING HEROES: By the third day of the storm, WVOM was getting low on the propane needed to run the generators that were powering its radio tower atop Passadumkeag Mountain. Responding to on-air pleas for help, volunteers used snowmobiles to haul twenty-two 100-gallon tanks up the ice-covered mountain in severe winds, chopping through three feet of ice to remove the empty tanks. (Station owner Evans was also there, with pickax in hand.) On that same day, an off-duty scallop fisherman, Dan Placzek, risked his life climbing the radio tower to remove ice so the “Voice of Maine” could continue to be heard. Four days later, another trip up the mountain would be needed to replace the tanks.
KINDNESS OVERLOAD: Generosity was a common theme throughout the ice storm, made possible by WVOM’s information relay services. In the commentary section of Only in Maine, volunteer announcer Tom Gocze relates a typical story: “A pregnant woman called in who was in a trailer with several children, and she had no heat, no food or milk, no water, and within 30 minutes after being on the air she called back and told us she had enough milk for a dairy farm, she had wood enough to build two houses, and to please thank everybody, but that’s enough!”
