Sunday, December 12, 2021

December tornados wipes out 60 TVA transmission towers and a CSX train

It is unusual to have tornados in December, let alone one that is this big.

TVA posted
Over 60 high-voltage transmission structures in Kentucky and Tennessee have been damaged, the most devastating storms since the 2011 tornado outbreak that affected AL,MS & TN. Our crews are assessing damage and mobilizing for repairs. 

My sister lives in Murray, KY. They are OK except for the whole town being without power. I have seen reports, including this map, that Mayfield, KY, got hit hard. Mayfield is just 20 miles away from Murray. This hit a lot of places after it was dark.
Michael Matalis shared a Tom Skilling post
Tom's comment concerning what's being referred to as the "Quad-State Tornadic Supercell" by meterological blogger Jack Sillin. It's the apt characterization he's using in discussing the convective complex which race of truly eye-catching swath of terrain Friday night (12/10/2021) from Arkansas to Kentucky. 

It will take National Weather Service survey teams to determine whether the long-lived and deadly Arkansas to Kentucky supercellular t-storm complex spawned a single mammoth tornado or multiple individual tornado touchdowns. But initial evidence suggests it may have been one of this country's longest path-length storms on the books in ANY MONTH LET ALONE DECEMBER. 

Most of the crews of the local power companies in other states can't come and help with these high-voltage lines.
TVA posted, cropped
High-voltage transmission crews are assessing and repairing damaged transmission towers and lines after devastating tornados in western Kentucky and Tennessee. 

TVA posted three images with the comment:
Never approach downed powerlines. If energized, they can kill! Move to a safe location, keep others away, and call 911. Hundreds of powerlines, both from TVA and your local power company, have been damaged by tornados and strong storms in western Kentucky and middle Tennessee. TVA crews are hard at work, both in the air and on the ground, determining the extent of the damage to the high-voltage system that supplies your local power company with electricity. Construction line crews from across the Valley are moving in to begin repairs.
For outage info in your area, please contact your local power company.
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Greg Moore: I took this picture. You owe me copyright fees! Lunch at buggy shed will suffice!

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[This looks like another view of the tower in the previous post.]

TVA crews are making good progress and have repaired and restored nine additional power connections with local power companies today. The number of customers without power has dropped 57% since yesterday. We now have over 160 lineworkers plus contract line crews safely working around the clock to repair the damage from the air and the ground, but the amount of damage in some locations means full power restoration may be a long process.
Current damage assessment:
-29 TVA transmission lines were down
-17 customer connection points are without service, mainly in Kentucky
-Approximately 100 TVA power structures (towers and poles) were damaged or destroyed.
-All potentially impacted TVA power lines have been fully accessed for damage. A second assessment is underway to determine if any nearby trees pose an immediate threat to the lines.

TVA posted four photos with the comment:
Early Sunday morning, crews restored power to local power company connection points near Glasgow, KY, and Lexington, TN. Devastating tornados caused widespread damage in portions of western Kentucky, and middle Tennessee early Saturday morning.
Our crews, along with local power company crews working 24/7, continue to make progress on the restoration process. 
Overall damage assessments are expected to be completed today. However, due to the amount of damage in some locations, restoration may be a long process. 
As of Sunday morning: 
-More than 30 TVA transmission lines are down
-17 customer connection points are without service, mainly in Kentucky
-At least 97 TVA power structures (towers and poles) are damaged.
-In addition to TVA’s power transmissions system, several local power companies have extensive damage to their power distribution systems. Both systems must be repaired to fully restore power to all areas.
Our highest priority is the safety of line crews and other emergency responders working in the rescue and recovery areas. 
❗️️Never approach downed powerlines!❗️
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TVA posted
TVA line crews are making good progress on repairs from devastating tornados. An additional delivery point is restored this morning, bringing the total to 13 power connections restored with local power companies since Saturday morning. 

TVA posted five photos with the comment:
Today [Monday, Dec 13, 2021], TVA crews restored two more connections points with local power companies, adding to the 12 already repaired since Saturday morning when tornados swept through the region. Over 160 lineworkers plus contractor crews are working to repair and energize the final seven local power company connection points. As of noon today, an estimated 38,578 consumers remained without power, an 85% improvement over Saturday. 
Immediately after the storms, 97 TVA power structures (towers and poles) were damaged or destroyed, 31 TVA transmission lines were out of service, 21 local power company connection points were without service, and nearly 250,000 consumers lost power service.
This is the most damaging storm system to impact the TVA service area since the April 2011 tornado outbreak in Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee.
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TVA posted four photos with the comment: "All but three of our connection points with local power companies have been restored this afternoon. The remaining connections to the Mayfield Electric and Water System in western KY and Lexington Electric System in west TN are still being repaired. Our crews are working 24/7 to make the necessary repairs to our system. Power has been restored to more than 226,000 residents, and less than 28,000 remain without power."
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TVA posted four photos with the comment: "Our line crews continued working through the night to repair damaged high-voltage powerline structures that feed Lexington Electric System in Tennessee and multiple locations in western Kentucky. Dedicated TVA and local power company teams are working 24/7 to restore the power system to areas affected by storms over the weekend."
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TVA posted
Tonight, the last high-voltage transmission tower is going up in the Lexington, TN area. Once the tower is finished, the large wires, called conductors, will be pulled. One step closer to getting power flowing again to parts of the Lexington Electric System The line was destroyed when strong storms moved through the area Saturday. Line crews have been working around the clock to rebuild the transmission system in the area.

Screenshot @ 0:03, cropped

Was the construction season done so that they had plenty of mobile cranes on the crane rental lots?
Screenshot @ 0:14, cropped

I did not know that they made bucket trucks with three segments. That helps reduce the crane rental fees. But not every town is going to have one of these.
Screenshot @ 0:30, cropped

0:58 montage video of the TVA repair work

TVA posted on Jan 5, 2022
Cold morning sunrise in West Tennessee.
Our high-voltage transmission construction crews repair a 500-kilovolt line near Martin, TN, damaged by a tornado in early December. Because of our redundant power grid, electricity from this line was rerouted from other locations while the repairs are made.
Notice the mats on the ground? Those are laid down to minimize environmental impacts and, in this case, a farmer's field.






Another industry I follow is railroading. CSX had parts of a train blown off the tracks.
Jim Pearson Photography posted 16 photos with the comment:
December 11, 2021 - CSX Q500 derailed on the Henderson Subdivision between Earlington and Mortons Gap, Ky on the night of December 10th due to the tornado that swept through the area at about 11pm causing major damage along its path. 
According to news reports this tornado was on the ground through 6 states and caused major damage along its path including deaths. The crew on the train weathered the storm just fine thankfully. Prayers to all those who have been affected by this devastating storm!
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/250, ISO 200.

 

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Within three days, CSX had the line open again.
Jim Pearson Photography posted
December 13, 2021 – With the CSX Henderson Subdivision between Earlington and Mortons Gap line back open to traffic and surrounded by a flattened landscape, CSX X648 makes its way north through Barnsley, Kentucky, past the site of the December 10th tornado that derailed CSX Q500 and devastated the small community and many others along its path through 6 states.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1000, ISO 110.
Jim Pearson Photography

Norman Baize commented on Jim's post
They were flaring off the propane cars yesterday.

safe_image for Kentucky Storm Derails CSX Train

4:58 drone video taken Dec 13, 2021 along the railroad   The propane tanks are still flaring.

Dec 21, 2021: Jim Pearson Photography posted
Life moves on and so do the trains as in this shot of the Casky to Madisonville, Ky local J732 on its way north through the rubble and derailed Q500 from the tornado that passed through the region on December 10th. Here we find CSXT 5421 and 100 leading the daily local north on the Henderson Subdivision through Barnsley, Ky on December 20th, 2021.
Barnsley was one of many communities that suffered catastrophic damage to the community during the recent tornado. Fortunately, there were no fatalities in this community and even a rescue of two toddlers that took a ride on the tornado. They were in a bathtub and wrapped in blankets by their grandmother, who also walked away from her destroyed home. They were found by two Hopkins County Deputy Sheriffs and other rescue workers safe and sound with no physical injuries.
If you’d like to watch the actual rescue it is in last Sunday's 60 Minutes broadcast about the storm. It’s available online.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1000, ISO 200.
Jonathon Young: Jim Pearson Photography I was told by an engineer that CSX had the train stopped when the tornado came through.
Jim Pearson Photography: Jonathon Young Yes, that's what I'm hearing as well.























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