Last night (Monday 6/27/11 ) a waterspout hit the powerlines that provide St. George Island with electricity. The storm was so short-lived with very little rain, it doesn't seem it could have spawned the spout...but it did.
One of the poles that was taken down was a new concrete pole and the other one was an old wooden one; Mother Nature doesn't discriminate. They were right next to each other and were in the group on the south side of the channel.
No point in complaining...St. George Island is a barrier island after all! Tourists and residents of St. George Island enjoy being close to nature and enjoy the rural aspects of the "Forgotten Coast".
Progress Energy dispatched six of their generator trucks from Tampa which will power the island at peak holiday load while the poles in the Apalachicola Bay are repaired with the use of work boats. We should have power sometime tonight with the target being 11:59 pm e.s.t.
The beach is just as busy as it was this time yesterday. The fishing charters and nature tours are running and some stores are open for business if they are equipped with generators. Our tourists are the hearty sort and seem to be having a blast judging by the chatter in the local restaurants, bars and grocery stores.
The power outage will undoubtedly lead to some great story material back home!