School's not out yet with this!

 

Yep. I'm hearing from family all over the state that now "boil water advisories" are cropping up everywhere, including San Antonio.

I'm sure glad I've got plenty of propane and clean water, but I'm gonna guess plenty of folks don't and the local grocery stores are gonna get swamped again. H-E-B has already put limits on water and propane sales. Fun times.

 

Same here. I wasn't completely unprepared but I am definitely making some changes now. I don't like "regular" cold weather so I have heavy duty "ranch hand" kinda clothing. I need a few more pairs of these lined canvas jeans. They are a life-saver in windy cold weather.

Most of what I need to do involves changes in housing for my small livestock. I haven't lost any animals and I've put in plenty of time in the last week and a half or so making sure they have what they need to be as comfortable as I can make them.

 

I have a fireplace, but cooking without power would be somewhat of a challenge for us too. Especially because there are 6 of us here (my mom is visiting). We were lucky too. Never lost power, even though we did have a day without water.

 

Is the fireplace wood burning? If so you need cast iron cookware and trivets, or some cast iron spider pans. Probably cheapest to go with regular pans and trivets, but a spider pan or two would be nice to have if you find a good deal.

 

Yep, I learned my pump house needs way more insulation. My generator would run for 15 mins and cut off for some reason.

The biggest challenge for us was not having enough regular use water. We filled the bath tubs and went through that pretty quick with flushing. We started filling the tubs with snow, hauled in with trash cans and thrown in the tub to melt.

I have tons of cold weather clothes because of my love for the mountains, skiing, and snowboarding. My son and I were able to get a couple days of snowboarding on our mountain road at the top.

As far as food, we ate MRE's and freeze dried single packages to try and keep from using too many dishes we can't wash. Luckily I was able to get another 1/4 cord of wood to heat the house for the long spells without power. I made store runs in the FJ when we could find ones open, pulled an X3 that was stuck in the snow. They were headed to friends from Austin after being without power for 2 days. Lifted 35" tires and 4 wheel drive was nice.

I'm just ready to wash some clothes, not sure how long it will take for the ground to thraw pipes to un-freeze. Luckily I have Pex in the attic and it handles ice expansion much better than pvc.

 

I think lots of us have been learning from this. Even those of us in the north. I hadn't started my genny in ages and man was it a bitch to start today. Need to start it more often. Could use a bit more 91 octane on hand. Have about 15gal but that would go quick. I have 4 new steel cans that have never been filled just sitting there. That's foolish.

I haven't been using my big service truck with the Miller welder on it in a long time. I think I will hand pour a slab by the meter on the house, set down there and ask my electrician buddy help me with the correct tie in stuff.

 

Could use a bit more 91 octane on hand. Have about 15gal but that would go quick. I have 4 new steel cans that have never been filled just sitting there. That's foolish.

Ditch the 91 octane and fill your cans with ethanol-free gas. 91 doesn't keep any longer than regular, but ethanol-free does. Ethanol attracts water which is what messes up carburetors on your generators.

 

Apartment dweller here too. My biggest fear was power loss more than any other issue for the same reasons you mentioned and the fact of "How do I keep my pipes from freezing and possibly rupturing if there is no way to properly heat the house". We had lots of water stored up, we had plenty of food including food that didnt require cooking or very little. I even had a way to cook quick meals for several days.

We were lucky as we have only went without power for about an hour. We were way more fortnate than others who have been without power for 72 hours already. I could use a few more candles and lamp oil though. I had a good bit of both but I could definitely up the any on the stash a bit more though.

 

Frugal mentioned dollar store candles, and I do have some of those, but don't forget yard sales. I don't know how often I have bought a shoebox full of candles at a yard sale for a buck.

Usually they are a mix of the long taper style and some short fat ones, and sure some look like they have been lit once or twice, but it's still a really good deal.

 

John, flush water lasts a lot longer if you only use it for solids.

I started with 15 gallons for flushing and still have about 10.

I am going to get a power bank to charge our phones, that will be useful. I had a couple of the cheapo throwaway portable chargers and they did the job but are now spent (won't charge). Based on what I saw the power bank could charge our phones for a good month.

 

John, flush water lasts a lot longer if you only use it for solids.

I started with 15 gallons for flushing and still have about 10.

I am going to get a power bank to charge our phones, that will be useful. I had a couple of the cheapo throwaway portable chargers and they did the job but are now spent (won't charge). Based on what I saw the power bank could charge our phones for a good month.

Don’t forget your water heater holds water, has a drain at the bottom, and an air inlet on the pop off valve.
Short piece of hose = many gallons.

 

God have mercy on Texas!

 

Maybe highlights issue with centralization and making supply chains longer. It seem that things preppers do now, were actually normal in the past, like 100 or so years ago.

If it came down to this kind of thing being done deliberately by a government (along similar lines to Biden shutting off Pipeline), being self sufficient / prepping will show a government that it is not going to work so they wont bother, in which case prepping is not only its namesake; preparing, but also preventing. This could give the false impression to some that prepping is not needed or "over the top" based on their lack of awareness that it is also full-filling this less obvious role when everyone is living confortably and nothing goes awry. I think I was one of these people 10 years ago but things like smart meters have been making me change my mind. As I think Benjamin Franklin said about an ounce of prevention, is better than a pound of cure.

 

It’s crazy ain’t it. I know different situations dictate and a one on one comparison is not fair... but I took a gander at Texas weather forecast and thought, why it’s practically summer out there. What are they complaining about? I know shortsightedness, but it’s just crazy the world of difference because up here we got I think it must have been two feet of snow all together in the past week while the temp dropped to below zero last night. So it’s like, yeah nice little storm but it just winter as usual.

 

There are two things that make it vastly different than we in the north experience.

First is they simply are not prepared for it. Homes aren't insulated like they are in the north. People don't have the types of winter clothing we always have up here. Garages are fairly rare so cars sit outside in weather for which they haven't been winterized. People don't have salt to melt icy sidewalks, they don't have any experience driving in snow or on slick roads, and many homes, perhaps a large majority, are heated electrically (heat pumps and the like, and electric resistance heaters in apartments). In most places snow is simply going to have to melt as they don't have the plows and other equipment to deal with it.

Second, one's body becomes used to cold weather. We're just coming out of a stretch where the low temp has been below zero for about 16 days. Sometimes down to -18 plus then there's the wind chill. My car starts in that weather (it's been serviced and winterized). I have great winter clothing. My house is heated to between 67 and 69 degrees.

And I was out clearing snow Sunday without gloves--the plow dumped some snow in the driveway and I was clearing it. Temperature? -9. Wind chill? -21. Took about 7 or 8 minutes.

I'm used to it. I used to smile when southerners would come north in the winter and complain about how cold it was--but for them, it really was cold. I think something like 20 degrees in the south is about like -15 here. But if they stayed up here for a few weeks, had some good winter clothing, they'd also get used to it.

All you Texans reading that--believe me, it's true.

When I was in college I always wondered why 60 degrees in September would feel chilly but at the end of February or March, it felt like heaven. That's why--we grew used to the cold. I was in a fraternity in college; we always budgeted a couple of half barrels of beer for a 60-degree party, i.e., the first day of spring when temps reached 60. Shorts and short-sleeves ruled the day.

I miss those parties.

 

Our houses aren't built the same. Sad but true almost every friend I have, and some family, are dealing with broken pipes.

Our builders just estimated maybe 30F to 90F and left it at that. You get down to 8 degrees and it's chaos. Even the power plants froze up from what I heard.

It is so bad one company that put a bid on my work last year sent me a preemptive email about dry wall damage? We can help! I BET. They wanted THREE times what Carlos charged me.

Oh, if you need to "salt" the ice you can use the old style kitty litter NOT clumping, like this:

It is only $4 for 25 pounds and I plan to get some myself. I have a graded driveway on a slope (good in flood season) that would have been pretty treacherous. As it is I was sliding around just trying to get to the trash can.

 

Tips from Minnesota, a cold weather state that sometimes gets power outtages in the winter:

Get some winter clothes. Sweatshirts, sweaters, parkas, hats, scarves, whatever you can find. Layering helps when you can't afford the good coats.

Have an extra blanket or two on hand for each person in your household.

Candles are great, just make sure they won't be easily tipped over by pets or young children. Flashlights also will work.

Keep at least some food in your stash that doesn't have to be cooked like trail mix, jerky, crackers, chips, etc. If worse comes to worse, you can always eat things like canned spaghetti-os. Yeah, they'll taste meh but at least, they will be edible.

Fireplaces are good things to have if you can have them.

If you have a family with kids, keep some activities for kids to do without power like coloring books, puzzle books, etc. Playing cards, chess sets, board games, novels to read, etc. will also temporarily distract you from the power being out.

I always pack an emergency car kit if travelling in cold weather too, you never know if you might get stranded on the road, and keep a spare blanket in the trunk.

Also keep your cell phones charged during cold weather when you have power, and have those external power supplies on hand, you never know when you might have to call 911.

 

I just learned that our town has had multiple water line breaks and are being told to reduce all use to bare minimum

 

We had that happen during the blizzard of 2011. It took out water service for several days, followed by a boil order that I didn't know about until afterwards.

 

My utility district has a robo dialer and said our water is fine, pressure and quality, (when I turn it on which will be Friday).

 

Being from Minnesota, I weathered the TX storm quite well. In years past, I wrapped exposed pipes in the attic of our house. When I hear of major winter weather last week, I ensured that we had adequate food/water for my wife and me and our pets. Our portable battery packs were charged to use for cell phones, Ipads, and laptops. I marked the water shut-off valve in my front yard, so it could be found after the snow and ice hit (if needed).

The toughest part was the lack of heat. Our house was 45 degrees during the two+ days with no power. My wife is not a cold climate person. We treated this like a winter campout and read books in our mummy sleeping bags (rated at 20 degrees) to keep warm and lit candles throughout our living room after dark. It was a cool atmosphere and kind of nice to be without TV, news, politics, etc.

I never expected to be without power for a couple of days in subfreezing temperatures in TX. It would be equally or more awful to be without power in the summer months TX. I have considered the purchase a generator for quite some time. And this event may push me into action. I did find it strange that a few of my friends could not get their generators started, I am not sure if they bought the units in the past and then expected them to start right up during the first emergency without prior testing and getting to know the system. I would like a quiet generator if possible. We live in a DFW suburb and don't want to bother neighbors or draw attention. I am also investigating solar power stations as an alternative to gas generators, but not sure that technology is ready for prime time or bigger tasks.

 

Back during the Christmas season of 2000, I was staying at my mother's and an ice storm knocked out the power. My brother took our mother to our other brother's place in Texas, and I stayed behind to keep an eye on things until the power returned. Everything in that house was electric, so it was cold and dark and I had to cook on the propane grill on the back porch. It took almost a week for power to be restored.

After that experience, I've always made sure to have alternate means of heat and light and cooking. It's also why I bought a house with a wood-burning fireplace and I converted the kitchen range from electric to gas.

 

Have (strike anywhere matches) on hand , bic lighters to but they don't work as well if cold so keep them in pocket to stay warm . If your going to burn wood have a fire starter kit , cotton balls with vaseline added to them will work well . A camp stove , a water filter that can make pond water safe to drink .

 

TO THOSE who couldn't "cook"
none of you have camping gear of any kind?

For a few bucks you can get a Coleman or other brand bottle burner stove.
with it you can get warm food and warm your hands and heat water.
Doesn't solve everything but it sure beats being without anything.

 

Yep. Our little 2 burner Coleman stove has been a lifesaver before. Didn't have to use it this time, thank goodness. But we have it -- JIC ...

Our water pressure is just about non-existent right now. Another good thing to have is paper plates and plastic utensils -- JIC you don't have water to clean up with. I'm drinking bottled water right now because what little water coming from the faucets is cloudy and smells awful. We haven't heard of a boil order but even without that I don't think I could get past the smell. Gag.

All things considered I have learned a lot about cold weather and not suffered too bad during class. Just thankful I never lost electricity ... Or gas ... Or water ... Because people all around me have lost both electricity and water. I haven't heard of anyone losing gas even though ONG did talk about possibly having to shut gas to residential areas down. I never heard why ... Or if they did start blackouts, too.

 

If I’ve learned anything from reading all these posts, I have got to step up my water preps. I don’t know what has got to go (I live in a house, not a warehouse) but my water supply is inadequate.

 

I have 165 gallons of potable water frozen solid!! I never thought my backup water would completely freeze. I am glad for the 3 7-gallon water totes I have inside, especially with at least 48 hours of boil-orders looming.

 

Just seeing tonight a lot of amazing videos online of damage / flooding from broken pipes.

 

good post goose3 gives me some insight as to why all the issues down there. You reminded me of something i havent thought of. I havent broke out my winter jacket. Still using my soft shell cabelas jacket for fall and matching vest. I didnt wear gloves the last time i shoveled snow. I do use those cheap dollar little cotton gloves that stretch out to adult size. I think my hands get colder from the steering wheel driving than the shovel! Makes good hunting glove liners.

my experience from ohio

inverter generator will be the quietest.

For fire starters save your paper towel/toilet paper rolls and pack with your dryer lint. When you need a fire, pull out some lint and pour several ounces of lantern oil and repack, ignite with some small kindling pieces layered on top. Pour oil into roll over trash can in case its not packed tight. May roll out the other end before it soaks in.

For apartment dwellers (or homes) you are limited on heat source. Get a Buddy heater and several flats of 1lb cans. You'll get about 8hrs on low which is 4k or 4500k btu. You can also mount hoses to 20lb gas tanks (about 48hrs on low). We used to keep a couple of 100lbs tanks at our deer camp with hoses with filters before we got the wood stove. Of course tanks have to be outside unless its the screw ons. Buddys have low oxygen sensors. I would section off your heating zone. May have to hang sheets from ceiling level to block off areas or entrances. You can periodically run it. Or get a wall mounted propane/gas heater. Small and would make a difference. FYI propane draws/makes moisture so your windows WILL build up with condensation.

Gas grills make a world of difference. Got a small weber and it sips a 20lb tank. We go through a tank a year and we grill year round. One of those camping burners with small tube gas would be nice for the apartment folks.

I have a wood insert stove. There is only a couple of inches that stick out from the fireplace, so theres no cooking on it. Those who get a wood stove after this, remember your wood cutting for next year is now to be seasoned and stacked on a rack.

Household wear. Everyone up here wears sweatpants and sweatshirts and warm slippers in the home. Those light fleece zip ups/pullovers hold heat for another layer. Wool socks As far as wool for LE duty/hunting i always checked the material contents. Never buy unless they are at least 70% wool. alpaca socks are good to go. Of course the wife wears a tank top and shorts and im layered. Real wool blankets makes a huge difference when added to the rest of your blankets. Pendleton or johnsonwoolenmills and i think hudson bay to make a couple wool blanket companies. There may be one or two that do alpaca, supposed to be warmer.

Outside clothing. DO NOT BUY COTTON if you plan on getting wet snow on you or your primary coat. I can wear hunting clothes. However for shoveling sessions i do have a pair of thick heavy fleece lined jeans that i do wear for driveway duty and you will sweat in them. For your main jacket, hood is a must, windproof/waterproof and for you southerners you can get this kind with thick heavy fleece liners. Wool or fleece vests with high collars really add to core body temp. Long johns. Cotton is a waste, period. For patrol with flimsy polyesters or hunting I wore polypropylene when they came out and duofold brand, usually a very thin top and an expedition weight over that. After 25yrs I used a no 3 under armour bottom, thin base top and their no 4 over that.

A thought on body regulating food. I used to treestand hunt as much as 40-50 days a year. So lots of time freezing. I had seen an hunting article about keeping warm on stand. They said pancakes/oatmeal based breakfast. The basis was something about the body thrived off those types of fuel to maintain body temp. I started eating a couple packs of oatmeal that had different grains plus i added some steel cut oats. It was more sustaining. I noticed i kept warmer and less snacky on those cold days in the stand. I used to take a bunch of crap and now i dont need it. I do take nature valley peanut butter granola bars (dry crunchy kind) or peanut butter sandwich on grain bread.

Lighting. Streamlight has those and now copied little laterns that run forever and they have an ambient red light.
BUT Get some Dietz lanterns with smokeless lantern oil (they all have some smoke) but they also provide some heat. Some lanterns have reflector mounts or use some aluminum foil 12'x12" sheet behind.

Camping shower bag. Heat your water. I use Just enough water to get wet, then soap up and rinse with the rest and can do it in a half gallon. Beat the cold shower but it sounds like you texicans dont have that.

Carbon Monoxide Detector]

Sounds like some of you are going to have a rough go for a couple more weeks. Temps supposed to be better next week. somethings to think about or add for the next based on our cold climate habits.

good luck

 

I bought my brother 2 25# bags of rocksalt at the local gas station. Promised him that I would hand it over in May when I come down for my nieces HS graduation.

 

My life is pretty full with running the business, homecare, and my own problems so I have just been continuing to use my paper plates, etc.

Utility district called and said they have good pressure, and the quality is fine. So when I turn it on I will be OK.

Lost power some hours last night but stayed toasty.

I am glad I did not have the 55 gallon drums filled with water in the garage, they would have frozen. The 7 gallon totes and cases of bottled water, empty 2 liter soda bottles refilled with tap water, in the house, all fine. I only went though about one case of bottled this week and I am a thirsty beast, that includes watering the cats as well.

Going to fix some oatmeal for breakfast.

 

I have been a Luci light believer until this. With no sun, they can't recharge. I will need to add something to my car kit. Being an employee of a contractor, my life is in hotels. I am very limited in what I can do.
Luci light made a good light for the bathroom the first night. Last night it was my headlamp on the red setting. Was surprised that it lasted all night.
Butane canister stove heated soup. Didn't want to attract attention with the smells from actually cooking, so soup worked well. Was a little concerned about the smoke alarm so I cooked in the bathroom. I have a backpacking stove, makes a bit of noise. I think one of the stoves that use the aerosol can type would be quieter, but take up more room in my car.
Thankfully hotels are well insulated to keep heating/cooling costs down. My room never got below 50 even without heat. I added a sleeping bag opened up on top of my bed as an extra blanket.

Homestead had all of the necessities due to prep for hurricanes. I need to add a buddy heater or 2 (and propane bottles) for times like this. They did ok this time, but who knows next time.

 

I love this thread! So much good experience and advice in here, so we can evaluate our plans just in case stuff happens in our area. So I have a question.

I purchased a small kerosene heater a number of years ago for JIC, along with several jugs of K1. I'd say about 2011. I added some Stabil to the K1 and revved up the heater once, but haven't needed it since. As as aside I know I'll have to vent while using or suffer CO poisoning, and yes I have a CO detector. What I don't know is how good the K1 is so many years later. I've seen the level in the jugs go down; I'm thinking evaporation since I don't see a puddle on the floor. But will the Stabil have kept the fuel good for 10 years?

Thanks.

 

I don't think StaBil works after about 18 months or so. We change out our gas cans (the old man dumps the gas into running vehicles every spring and refills the cans. Honestly, the StaBil is probably overkill for us but I don't like to play it fast and loose with my preps ... So ...