I thought I'd give some advice that isn't often mentioned. Let's call it common sense advice not usually given. Why? Because everyone assumes people already know these things.
After the terrible winter storm of 2021, I'd hoped the Texas Gulf Coast area wouldn't see such weather again for 20 years. In the past, that was how often we had below freezing temperatures for more than a day or two.
However, we're looking at temperatures in the teens from now until Thursday. Insane. We have a generator in place which we didn't have in 2021. If you missed my post about this, see What to Know About Home Generator.
I'll also begin filling containers with water this afternoon because we also lost water when the pumps at the water facility lost power. Here's my list of things to know just in case you're young and never confronted this before or maybe you're single now and a partner took care of things in the past.
11 Common Sense Tips to Survive Cold Weather
1. Stay indoors if at all possible.
I'm not kidding. Even if your workplace shuts down, don't take the "free" time to go shopping, eat out, etc.—assuming some places are open. This is not the time to visit friends either. I say this because if the roads ice over you're taking a chance. Sure, maybe you know how to drive in these conditions, but what about everyone else you meay encounter? How many of them are trained in driving on ice? How many of the vehicles are equipped with special tires?
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| Stay in where it's warm. Great time to read and relax. |
2. If you have to venture out and drive, make sure you have a cold weather emergency kit in your car.
Even the smallest vehicle should carry a cold weather emergency kit.
Your kit should include: energy bars, bottled water, first aid kit, flashlight, and an Escape Tool.
(I wrote about escape tools before. The one I mentioned is unavailable, but there are others.)
Also include a windshield scraper or brush, a coffee can containing utility candles and matches, a whistle, a roadmap in case you must leave your vehicle, blankets, extra coat or sweaters for each person, and a bag of sand, salt, or non-clumping kitty litter.
You should be wearing boots or waterproof footwear if you plan to be outdoors and/or drive. If you're not, add boots to your cold weather emergency kit. (I'm assuming you already have jumper cables and know how to use them, a fire extinguisher, tow straps, and road flares or warning lights.)
3. Keep your cell phone charged.
Avoid draining the battery unless you have a way to recharge it. Your phone might well be your lifeline so don't play games, check social media, etc. unless you can easily recharge your phone.
If you plan to drive more than a couple of city blocks, you should probably take your weather radio with you.
The one shown here is NOAA Emergency Weather Radio, AM, FM, and it can be recharged by solar, hand Crank, or USB Charger. It's also an LED flashlight, a reading lamp, has an alarm, and a headphone jack for outdoor use.
At $20 bucks and change, this is a good choice, but there are others depending on what features you want. With this unit, you can also recharge your phone and USB devices.
This emergency weather radio is 4000mah which means you can go longer between recharges than with a 2000mah device.
5. Delay your daily walk or jog.
When the weather is extremely cold, be smart and exercise indoors. You can damage your lungs by gulping frigid air. Cover your mouth to protect your lungs from the severely cold air. Don't take deep breaths. Don't talk. Don't engage in activities outside that increase your respiration rate.
6. If you must go outside, dress appropriately.
As I said in #5 above, be sure you cover your mouth to protect your lungs. Wear layers or warm clothing from head to toe, including mittens, hats or watch caps, scarves, an insulated wind-resistant coat or jacket with a hood, and waterproof boots.
7. If you have an outdoor dog, for God's sake, make a shelter indoors for your animal.
I'm glad we have a law here now that protects pets from—I'll be polite and call them insensitive—owners who leave pets outdoors in extreme weather. There's simply no excuse for doing this. Protect your animals.
If you make a place for your animals in the garage, be sure wind is blocked and the animal has plenty of warmth between a cold cement floor and his body. Check the temperature in the garage because you don't want to keep an animal in a frigid place.
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| 20 candles for $26.99 |
These 9-hour White Candles for UCO Candle Lanterns and Emergency Preparedness shown are a good choice.
A safe place means a hard surface away from draperies, covers, and out of reach of children and pets. Never leave a candle burning unless you're in the same room and awake.
9. If you've experienced water outages in the past, fill containers with water.
You'll want closed bottles or pitchers for drinking and cooking. Fill a bathtub with water for use in flushing toilets and/or bathing.
10. Have a way to heat food and water if the power goes off.
That might be a gas stove you can still light with a match if the power is off, or a charcoal grill on the patio. Get a coffee maker like a French press or dripolator that doesn't depend on power. Have food that's easy to prepare, i.e, canned goods, dried food like MREs, and a way to heat foods if the power goes off.
11. If you have a fireplace, build a fire in it but remember to open the damper.
If your fireplace has gas logs in it, you probably still have gas available. If the gas is also shut off, you can remove the gas logs and all the decorative fake ashes then you can burn wood, BUT make sure there isn't a vinyl gas line in the hearth as I've seen in some homes.
Takeaway Truth
Be smart. Be prepared. Be safe.
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