Winter and Seasonal Survival Kits – Everyone needs one
As you all know I live in the great state of Texas. But as we found out the utilities and the government, not so great. We had the lowest in temperatures in 70 years. We hit below zero for several days and as a person who actually loves winter, I did not care for this.
We had major electrical outages, pipe breaks, and sadly many people died because of greed and deregulations. My husband, my puppies, and I did okay. We expected a harsh winter last year, but it didn’t happen.
We had extra fire logs in our shed, we knew the storm was coming and we purchased food and pine mountain logs. I prefer them over Duraflame. They seem to last longer; even the 3-4 hour ones.
LED candles will work as well
Here is a good rule of thumb whatever you use for severe weather like tornadoes, hurricanes, and floods, the same goes for when the temperature dips and for major winter storms. Texas is not used to winter storms like this. Neither was our government. Here are some major tips:
· When the temperature forecasts below 32 degrees, bring in all vegetation and put all of your faucets on drip.
· If it gets dangerously cold, close all blinds and curtains. If you have thermal curtains which are best close them.
· Put towels and extra blankets around doors and windows if you feel air seeping out from them.
· Close off any rooms you are not using and stay in the living room or great room.
· If your power is off and you are worried about your groceries. Put them outside but bring them in at night. We have raccoons and possums in my area and one scared the crap out of me. You can pack a cooler with ice and snow and keep it like that.
Starting with if you have a wood-burning fireplace, keep the chimney flu open. In October we use a creosote log to clean it. Worth the investment. Do not use your car for warmth, don't bring in gas or oil-powered generators. as we have seen they are too dangerous. Use warming pads that will supply warmth with electricity. Use the kind for cramps and backaches. Sound weird, but it works. Other tips include:
I would bundle up. We wore our sweatpants and shirts with extra socks and caps. I put sweaters and shirts on my dogs. We have lots of throw blankets and doubled up. I have two battery packs USB and a ring light. Make sure your phones and tablets are charged. If you are working from home and are conserving power, split your time. If you have kids, get the books, crayons, and watercolors out.
Some people experienced broken pipes at home, work, and at their apartments. If you have the means. Get with family or friends with power or split a hotel room. Far as lighting. Last year during storms I invested in two waterproof battery LED lanterns. Now we have six.
Need to potty? Make a make-shift bathroom or honey bucket. Use a 5-gallon bucket place a trash bag over it and a roll of toilet paper on the handle. Not new to most, especially campers or people in the military.
Try not to use big appliances, they run too much energy. If your power is and you have a pipe break, you have to switch off the breakers to prevent electrocution. We do that when a tornado is nearby too. Stay away from power lines that have snapped.
Keep your bug-out bag filled with a blanket, extra clothes, medicine, wipes, and a few snacks. Keep a mini chest with dog and cat supplies and keep their harnesses and collars on.
Food. That’s a no-brainer. Keep snacks like chips, crackers, string cheese, fruit, and bottled water handy. Yes, they are mostly processed foods, but it beats being hungry. Wipes, sanitizer and wear your f***ing mask. We are still in a pandemic.
This is a long blog, but it's needed and I hope it helps you. We are finally out of the danger zone and above freezing. There are people who still need help with bills, food, and water the please donate to these trusted organizations:
Support Relief Efforts in Texas: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/aoc-social-20210219?refcode=tw20210219
World Central Kitchen https://t.co/A1O2QH66mG?amp=1
Connect to Beto O Rourke’s Twitter page: https://twitter.com/BetoORourke
He has multiple links to directly help counties affected by the winter storm.
Central Texas Food Bank https://www.centraltexasfoodbank.org/get-involved/donate
North Texas Food Bank https://ntfb.org/
And check with your utility providers for programs to help you pay your bill.
credit: aarp.com , amazon.com , weather.gov,
my-doctor-friend.com, quietrev.com
founterior.com, designimages.com.