There be but one hose that provides
pixies to all of hatteras island
Angry pixies: Why did the power go out?
Internet pixies: Why did the internet go out?
First, where to find information on power. Go to:
-
The "Cape Hatteras Electrical Cooperative" (CHEC) Facebook page is normally kept up to date on what happened: https://www.facebook.com/CapeHatterasElectricCoop
-
CHEC has an outage map: http://outages.chec.coop/OMSWebMap/OMSWebMap.htm?clientKey=undefined
Where to find informatin on the failure
of the internet:
- Using your cell phone, if the internet on that works: https://downdetector.com/
- Spectrum: https://www.spectrum.net/page/spectrum-storm-center
There
is but one power line and one internet line that serves all of
Hatteras Island. Break that power line and
the lights go out; no angry pixies. Break
that internet line and no internet; no internet
pixies.
If the power company can do it, they will start the massive diesel generators and again power the island. That takes some time and depending on where the necessary people are, can take a lot of time.
There are any number of reasons power or internet went out:
-
A drunk anywhere in the hundred or so miles of power lines hit any of the poles.
-
A storm.
-
Salt. No, really, when the ocean conditions are right, ocean water will become airborne in tiny particles and land on all sorts of thing. That results in conductive salt water on the lines and some neat ways to crash the system. You will see the fire departments hosing down the power lines now and again. They are washing off the salt.
-
Salt in the internet repeater boxes. Every so often the signal travelling down the internet line has to be amplified. These amplifiers don't like salt.
-
Wind.
-
General wear and tear.
Lucky your phone has a flashlight, eh?
Did you notice there are books, paper things with words written in them, on the bookshelves. There are some general books and a bunch on the Outer Banks. Look here: http://wolfswishingstar.com/books.html