Generators humming

The sound of generators is common across Houston following Hurricane Ike, which wiped out power to much of the city. The longer my neighborhood goes without power, the more generators I hear at night through my open bedroom windows.

Shortly before Ike struck Galveston, Tex., on Sept. 13, I received a news release from Colonial Pipeline Co. about how Colonial nearly used its generators following Hurricane Gustav, which knocked out electricity at three of Colonial’s central Louisiana stations on Sept. 1.

Colonial bought portable generators after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. Following Gustav’s landfall along the Louisiana coast earlier this month, Colonial crews were about 1 hr away from cranking up the generators to restart operations at the Baton Rouge plant when commercial power was restored.

In 2005, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita caused Colonial to shut down completely for 2 days each time. Colonial spokesman Steve Baker says lessons learned in those hurricanes contributed to Colonial quickly restoring pipeline service during this hurricane season.

Meanwhile, I am wondering if electricity to my home will be restored if I go buy a generator, assuming I could even find one to buy in Houston right now. Colonial was wise to buy its generators when it did.

Houston life days after Ike

Hurricane Ike raged around my southwest Houston home for what seemed like a long time. The storm ripped off some shingles but left the tar paper intact. Ike destroyed a couple of trees, but otherwise my household fared well.

The storm also uprooted an energy infrastructure that most Americans take for granted. My biggest concerns today—beyond weekly magazine deadlines—are when I might find some gasoline and when my house might get electricity restored.

A local public relations spokeswoman compares hurricane-recovery life to the Twilight Zone. My response is that there are some Mad Max moments, particularly in the car.

At the Oil & Gas Journal office, everything appears normal. But safety logistics of the commute home quickly remind me that normal routine remains suspended. It’s tricky crossing busy intersections without working traffic lights.

Motorists face long waits at the limited number of gas stations having electricity with which to run their pumps. Sometimes, police officers are there to direct traffic. When you do get to an open pump, typically cash is required, and you are limited in how much gasoline you can purchase.

Like Houston Mayor Bill White says, this is called a disaster area for a reason. I can only imagine what it must be like for oil companies trying to restore operations while checking on the welfare of all their employees.