Hopefully by the end of today almost all of West Virginia will again have electricity.
The giant derecho storm that knocked out power to over half the state triggered a series of problems beyond just the inconvenience of not having electricity; gas stations closed or ran out of fuel, nursing homes and small health care facilities scrambled to find generators, businesses that were forced to shut down lost revenue they cannot make up.
Some West Virginians have been left without power for a week and a half. That’s a real challenge for even hardy folk. As Charleston Gazette columnist Alyce Faye Bragg aptly wrote, “Most of us agree that it is more fun to read about ‘the good old days’ than to actually relive them.”
Through it all, West Virginians have called our radio stations with a series of questions:
–Have the utilities done a good enough job keeping trees and branches clear of the power lines?
–Can the power companies plan better for bringing in additional crews when they are needed, and finding places nearby for them to stay?
–Should vital services (water plants, nursing homes, health care facilities, gas stations) have better back-up systems for when the power fails?
–Is there a cost-effective way to have more power generators on hand that can be dispatched on a moment’s notice?
–Can the state do a better job during a disaster of making sure that water, ice and ready-to-eat meals get to where they are needed more quickly?
–Can we, as West Virginians, better prepare ourselves by buying our own back-up generators and keeping a several-day supply of food and water on hand?
–Should the media, particularly radio and TV stations, make sure they are prepared to stay on the air and switch programming to provide vital information to the public?
After West Virginia is fully recovered from the storm, and those who have worked hard to fix the damage have had a chance to rest, state leaders, representatives of the utilities, emergency offices and others directly involved in the recovery should sit down for a series of planning meetings.
Governor Earl Ray Tomblin can, and should, take the lead on this.
I suspect they will conclude that, in many cases, individuals and organizations did the best they could under challenging circumstances. Power company workers put in long, hot days replacing poles and stringing lines. OES workers and volunteers sacrificed their own comfort to try to help others.
But, if they are candid, they will also acknowledge ways the response could have been better.
APCo President and COO Charles Patton, who has admirably been front-and-center throughout the ordeal, has said he welcomes such a meeting. First on the agenda should be a fair assessment of the utilities’ performance in keeping the power line rights of way clear.
It’s easy to cast blame when things are going wrong, and it’s understandable that some West Virginians, who have endured the hottest stretch of the summer without power, reached the boiling point.
Hopefully, tempers will cool along with the temperatures in the days ahead and we can plan better for the inevitable “next time.”