Massive winter storm prompts disaster declaration and could stress Texas' electricity grid

[libertybele]

It's 10 pm and it's ZERO outside.  We have no water in a city of over 100,000 and they say that it will be off for 24 hours to FOUR DAYS.....DANG!!! 

Still having rolling blackouts.  This is getting serious fast.

Oh and get this....It's supposed to SNOW TOMORROW!  I'm waiting for the plagues to come as nothing would surprise me at this point.

Yikes!!! I am so sorry that this is happening to you .... I wish there was something that I could do.  Prayers up!!

[corbe]

   Our power lines are mostly above ground. I suspect it is the rolling blackouts more than power lines down due to ice accumulation. I have power I just don't have adequate electric heaters.  My old 50's Gas Dearborn will have to do, so I moved to the Living Room (near the heater) and my breath is still visible vapor.    @Victoria33    i learned yesterday, much to my surprise, that the memory foam you have on top of your mattress will indeed freeze.  Whoda thunk that.  Thankfully I have antifreeze for the toilet (no water pressure) and Bourbon for my body.

[libertybele]

@mystery-ak
@Gefn

Denton County 30 miles northwest of Dallas.  Today is Tuesday, 10:30 am central - temp now 7 degrees.  Were at 0 last night.  Wind chill was -30 last night.

We are feeding the birds good birdseed and they are in and out eating all day.  We put the pans with the seed under a table out there so snow would not get into the seed.

Here is why they do not freeze:

 https://www.audubon.org/how-do-birds-cope-cold-winter

Interesting info on the birds.  Our feeder attracts; bluebirds,scrub jays, cardinals, red-winged black birds, blackbirds, finches, tanagers, parrots, morning doves, chickadees and ducks waddle up sometimes too.

Thinking about getting another feeder for another tree.

[libertybele]

   Our power lines are mostly above ground. I suspect it is the rolling blackouts more than power lines down due to ice accumulation. I have power I just don't have adequate electric heaters.  My old 50's Gas Dearborn will have to do, so I moved to the Living Room (near the heater) and my breath is still visible vapor.    @Victoria33    i learned yesterday, much to my surprise, that the memory foam you have on top of your mattress will indeed freeze.  Whoda thunk that.  Thankfully I have antifreeze for the toilet (no water pressure) and Bourbon for my body.

Yikes....maybe invest in a good woodstove down the road?

[XenaLee]

We were out 2a-4a, in what was one of those rolling blackouts.   Not long enough (yet) to do any damage.  12 degrees this morning here.

Funny, since the power at my house was on between 2am and 3:40, and then went out again until 10....six fricking hours.   The thermostat read 50 degrees when it finally came back on.  Now, it's been running for almost two hours and is just now at 61.   The idiots scheduling these outtages aren't leaving the power on long enough to heat the houses up again.  I'm betting they're Biden supporters.   

[corbe]

Yikes....maybe invest in a good woodstove down the road?
[/quote
   Thought about that @libertybele It's getting harder and harder to invest that kind of money into this old place.  Knowing that when I sell it they will defiantly bulldoze this old place, they want the land to build a two story McMansion on it.  I don't expect to be here in a couple more years, anyway.
   I have newfound respect for the Northern Plains Briefers.

[corbe]

   Just got a 'Boil Your Water' Alert on my phone, good Luck if you have an Electric Stove.  My biggest problem is my ice maker quit working and that's probably good.
   What a CF!

[Right_in_Virginia]

Charlie Spiering
@charliespiering

Joe Biden has been "kept abreast" of winter storm in Texas and other states, says Jen Psaki but has not yet spoken to any governors personally.


12:25 PM · Feb 16, 2021·TweetDeck

https://twitter.com/charliespiering/status/1361728385240735750

[Idiot]

   Just got a 'Boil Your Water' Alert on my phone, good Luck if you have an Electric Stove.  My biggest problem is my ice maker quit working and that's probably good.
   What a CF!

Our city announced our water should be going this afternoon...sure hoping that's true.  We are supposed to boil our water for the next 2 days. 

[mountaineer]

Joe Biden has been "kept abreast" of winter storm in Texas and other states, says Jen Psaki but has not yet spoken to any governors personally.

BS.

[thackney]

A co-worker just got power back.  They were 42 hours with no power, no internet, no CELL service.

[libertybele]

Yikes....maybe invest in a good woodstove down the road?
[/quote
   Thought about that @libertybele It's getting harder and harder to invest that kind of money into this old place.  Knowing that when I sell it they will defiantly bulldoze this old place, they want the land to build a two story McMansion on it.  I don't expect to be here in a couple more years, anyway.
   I have newfound respect for the Northern Plains Briefers.

Gottcha.  I don't blame you then for not wanting to fork over the $$, I wouldn't either in your case.

Yes, something to be said for the Northern Plains Briefers; @roamer_1 is set to survive just about anything.  He's very fortunate and I envy his way of life.  I just can't tolerate the cold.

[libertybele]

BS.

B.S. is right. He could care less and he's lucky to know what day it is.

[Right_in_Virginia]

@amuse
@amuse

In other news, there isn't enough water pressure in many Texas cities to fight a house fire because everyone has their faucets dripping. #GreenNewDeal



9:06 AM · Feb 16, 2021·Twitter Web App

[Right_in_Virginia]

BS.

Totally agree!

[corbe]

   
   Though next time I'll get a Hotel.

[Victoria33]

@Cyber Liberty
@mystery-ak
@corbe
@mrpotatohead
@thackney
@Elderberry
@libertybele

Because I am a prepper, I have these things and suggest you consider getting them for the future.

"Water Bob"
Food grade water container, goes in a bathtub, holds 100 gallons of water; has a pump to get water out when you want it.  I filled one last Saturday evening. You can drink this water, is your regular faucet water.  These are about $35 at Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/WaterBOB-Emergency-Container-Drinking-Hurricane/dp/B001AXLUX2/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2O1HS8GQR6ZYK&dchild=1&keywords=water+bob+for+tub&qid=1613500278&sprefix=water+bob%2Caps%2C322&sr=8-2

Sterno stoves with canned heat for fuel if power goes out.
I have two stoves with plenty of cans of canned heat.  Can warm or cook on these stoves.  Safe to use in house, they are like the ones under food when you go through a line at a restaurant.

Have two Melitta single cup makers, heat the water on Sterno stove to very hot, don't need to boil it, and put the water in a Melitta filter which you have put on top of a cup, with ground coffee in the filter, and have a quick, excellent cup of coffee.

[Elderberry]

I always have quite a supply of water onhand without tying up a tub. And I have a 2 burner propane stove with around 100# or so of bottled propsne to feed it. I'm kicking myself for not yet tying my generator into my Nat Gas supply. I never thought I'd need it until hurricane season.

[libertybele]

@Cyber Liberty
@mystery-ak
@corbe
@mrpotatohead
@thackney
@Elderberry
@libertybele

Because I am a prepper, I have these things and suggest you consider getting them for the future.

"Water Bob"
Food grade water container, goes in a bathtub, holds 100 gallons of water; has a pump to get water out when you want it.  I filled one last Saturday evening. You can drink this water, is your regular faucet water.  These are about $35 at Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/WaterBOB-Emergency-Container-Drinking-Hurricane/dp/B001AXLUX2/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2O1HS8GQR6ZYK&dchild=1&keywords=water+bob+for+tub&qid=1613500278&sprefix=water+bob%2Caps%2C322&sr=8-2

Sterno stoves with canned heat for fuel if power goes out.
I have two stoves with plenty of cans of canned heat.  Can warm or cook on these stoves.  Safe to use in house, they are like the ones under food when you go through a line at a restaurant.

Have two Melitta single cup makers, heat the water on Sterno stove to very hot, don't need to boil it, and put the water in a Melitta filter which you have put on top of a cup, with ground coffee in the filter, and have a quick, excellent cup of coffee.

Good information. We have sterno cans on hand (had for a long time though) and a clean 50 gallon drum to fill with water (plus water tabs). We also have a hand bottled water pump dispenser for the 3 or 5 gal bottles of water.  If need be we also have a still to distill water out of our canal -- also a water filtering canister with a spout.

Not sure how long those sterno cans are good for?  The stove is just a fold up piece of metal to hold them, but hopefully it'll do. I bought the 50 gal drum and sterno cans with stove through Emergency Essentials.

We've never used any of these, and hope that we never have to, but we have them on hand just in case.  We also have about 6 mos. supply of dehydrated food  -- if we keep it to about 2 meals each a day, and also a decent amount of powdered milk and dehydrate cheese.  The meals will be bland, but for the most part it's dehydrated meats, fruits and vegs without all the preservatives and additives.

We've prepped pretty well (I hope).

[mountaineer]

John Cardillo   @johncardillo
Texans are sleeping in running cars with the heaters on, risking carbon monoxide poisoning so they don't freeze to death, while @CNN and @Newsweek run stories about Biden putting logs on the WH fireplace, going to sleep at sunset, and playing little kids' video games.
2:14 PM · Feb 16, 2021·

[roamer_1]

Good information. We have sterno cans on hand (had for a long time though) and a clean 50 gallon drum to fill with water (plus water tabs). We also have a hand bottled water pump dispenser for the 3 or 5 gal bottles of water.  If need be we also have a still to distill water out of our canal -- also a water filtering canister with a spout.

Not sure how long those sterno cans are good for?  The stove is just a fold up piece of metal to hold them, but hopefully it'll do. I bought the 50 gal drum and sterno cans with stove through Emergency Essentials.

We've never used any of these, and hope that we never have to, but we have them on hand just in case.  We also have about 6 mos. supply of dehydrated food  -- if we keep it to about 2 meals each a day, and also a decent amount of powdered milk and dehydrate cheese.  The meals will be bland, but for the most part it's dehydrated meats, fruits and vegs without all the preservatives and additives.

We've prepped pretty well (I hope).

You'd do better to invest in Buddy Heaters, which run on bottled propane. They have a gizmo for em to let em take a barbecue grill size tank... Which means they'll take ANY tank.

The 'Big Buddy' (around 200 bucks) puts out up to 18000 BTU , and comes with safety features.

Stock up a few 20 pound tanks, which you can swap/rotate through your grill anyway, and you're pretty golden for good immediate portable heat.

Winter overlanding, you'll be almost as likely to see that Big Buddy in a tent as you are a wood stove. Very good. Very reliable.

[Victoria33]

@libertybele

The small sterno stoves are small, inexpensive, and can be used in the house, no need to go outside to a big stove with big gas bottles.

During every hurricane and after until power came back, maybe a week or more, I used the sterno stoves sitting on a kitchen counter.  The Melitta single cup coffee makers were used every day at any time of day.  These items just made living better until "normal" came back.

[Elderberry]

Haven't really thougt of prepping. I have a supply of dried beans and rice and flour stored in aluminized/mylar bags. We cycle thru the canned good supply. And I keep the deep freeze stocked with meat and I know where I can always get more.

[Right_in_Virginia]

John Cardillo   @johncardillo
Texans are sleeping in running cars with the heaters on, risking carbon monoxide poisoning so they don't freeze to death, while @CNN and @Newsweek run stories about Biden putting logs on the WH fireplace, going to sleep at sunset, and playing little kids' video games.
2:14 PM · Feb 16, 2021·

@amuse
@amuse

Texans are sleeping in their cars as we suffer the stark realities of the #GreenNewDeal. 30% of our power comes from renewables now - and it turns out the don’t work in the ice and snow. We shutdown our gas fired plants and now we live in the 3rd world.

Video:

https://twitter.com/amuse/status/1361662997463187456

8:05 AM · Feb 16, 2021·Twitter for iPhone

[Victoria33]

@roamer_1

I prepare to live in the house with safe cooking methods inside the house, and sterno stoves are exactly that.  Outside grills are fallbacks if inside house cooking method is used up.  Never ran out of canned heat, which can be stored inside house, too.

I have an inside heater for heat.  It is a fairly new innovation as it is safe to use in the house with small bottles of fuel.  It also has a warning that goes off if oxygen around it goes down, a signal of fuel leak.  That has never happened as the transfer of fuel from the small bottle is simple.