Posted on 02/23/2021 9:04:42 AM PST by Kaslin
Thanks to experience with numerous hurricanes, we were prepared for the Texas power outage and no one slept in the cold at our house. When you are prepared, three days is not that bad.
I have lived along the Gulf Coast my entire life, mostly in the Houston Area. I lived and worked in Louisiana when Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Gustav slammed into South Louisiana and have learned from my successes and failures and those of my friends.
After moving back home to Texas and a long period of relatively quiet storm activity, Hurricane Harvey was a test of different beast until one of the coldest winters in Texas history. Every storm has taught me that you need to have a plan to survive on your own or as a group for two weeks. I’ve also learned you can spend as little as $200 to survive with no city water, no power, and no heat for three days in zero-degree weather.
Every storm, and the periods afterward, have taught me something new to apply to my preparations for the next one. I’ve found that simple is better, something is going to happen that you did not plan for, and you or your friend group must solve your problems instead of waiting for someone else to do it for you.
Fresh out of college and with no preparation when Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana, I evacuated back to Texas. I learned that you should have a plan to evacuate for hurricanes and arrive back home with a plan to survive for weeks.
When I arrived back in Louisiana for work, some areas recovered quickly and others were figuring out they were going to have no power, water, or services for the long haul. A common generator theft resulted in the unsuspecting homeowner waking up to no power and a lawnmower running in their backyard to replicate the white noise of the generator while its owners were sleeping.
Lessons: Be prepared for long-term survival and buy a lock for the generator.
After the hurricane passed, I arrived in Houma, Louisiana after evacuating while carrying all my preparations to survive for two weeks, some of which I still have today.
One thing I was not ready for was the lack of gasoline and communication systems to support credit card transactions. My lessons learned were to have cash and keep more than ten gas cans (I currently have 13).
Owning simple, shelf-stable foods was a big advantage when trying to repair our home after storm damage with no power. Our friend group pooled resources and repaired each other’s fences and roofs after the storm, saving so much heartache and money.
Lessons: Cash and gas make good friends.
Even though we did not lose power with Hurricane Harvey in 2017, I was not prepared to wake up to water in the street at the time. Many people woke up with two options: evacuate via boat or wade through water.
I had purchased a water transfer pump before the storm, which saved an entire cul-de-sac from flooding due to a stopped-up storm drain. I learned rain gear does not keep you dry when walking in water.
As part of a small group that was doing high-water rescues all over Houston, I learned to buy dry bags and waterproof waders with booties in them as well as personal flotation devices. You never know when you will have to walk out of your house in hard rain, and you will be thankful that you are dry in that moment. Also, buy flood insurance. Many, many people learned that very expensive lesson during Harvey.
Lessons: Be prepared to evacuate your home in the rain. Know where high ground is located and how you are going to get there. Buy flood insurance.
By the time COVID-19 hit, my wife and I had started to focus on shelf-stable foods and a full pantry. When the crunch on water, food, and toilet paper hit, we saw the need to own more-significant water filtration and storage because water bottles are a temporary solution and people were waiting in lines for hours for these basic necessities.
We purchased a Lifestraw Pitcher and then the Lifestraw Community filter so we would not have to run out to buy water, but could store water in five-gallon cans and have the ability to filter rainwater. In Houston, a major water main broke, shutting off water to most of the city, amplifying a panic that was already slowly building in the early days of COVID-19.
Lessons: Water filtration and toilet paper are highly valuable resources.
Due to the storm, our family, which includes an 18-month-old and a newborn, were out of power at 2:30 a.m. on Feb. 14. We were out of power with snow and freezing temperatures for 41 hours before the power came on for eight, then was off for 18 hours, before staying on—for now. The water pressure went to a trickle for us after the first day and much sooner than that for other folks.
We were prepared for the power outage and no one slept in the cold at our house. When you are prepared to be self-sufficient for two weeks, three days is not that bad. Here is what we did, and then I will explain how you can do it for far less.
Generator: We purchased a Winco HPS12000HE Tri-Fuel Generator in 2016 after a bunch of research. Generators are tricky in that fuel demand can be an issue in a disaster area if it is too big, but too small of a generator limits what you can operate in your home. As it was, our Winco burned one gallon of gas per hour, and in a prolonged power-outage we could have swapped to natural gas.
A carbon monoxide monitor is a necessity with a generator. Also, hire an electrician to connect your generator to your house or show you how. It is a simple installation and it will make your life so much easier versus cords everywhere in your home.
Water: We had already filled one of the bathtubs before the power went out, an old hurricane preparation trick, so we could maintain functioning toilets. It quickly became clear we would need water for the long term.
Melting snow and ice on the roof during the day was a significant resource, and we just needed to collect it. I emptied six IRIS 82-quart totes and started stationing them on downspouts of the gutters and other places. In 24 hours, we had collected 120 gallons of water, of which we used a small portion for flushing toilets and bath water.
In the South, crawfish pots are fairly commonplace and we have one for our annual crawfish boil. We used the crawfish pot to boil the water and then used it for baths and rinsing dishes. We used one tote for scrubbing dishes and the sink with boiled rain water for rinsing.
Well, if it floods where I live, Noah will have to pick me up. I'm just NW of Albuquerque and at 5,280'. That being said, may neighbor behind me is at 5,285'. So a heavy rain (read "normal summer monsoon") will flood my backyard.
The main breaker is always open while on the gen set. Safety first.
How much?
Be very certain to get that propane backup. Many places in TX lost natural gas because the pumps shut down. In NM, about 12 years ago or so, there were several thousand customers in the Albuquerque area lose natural gas supply in the dead of winter. Demand was so high all over because of the cold and they lost a pump.
He’s smarter than you. Just ask him.
L
Here's a Home Depot suggestion.
Shop around, you can also get an automatic transfer switch that will do it for you, but of course much more expensive.
Good luck.
This one's maybe the easiest: GenerLink
The main breaker is always open while on the gen set. Safety first.
I have done similar. My method was to shut off the main and connect the generator through a sub-panel and back feed to the main panel and shut off all unnecessary breakers. I was really only concerned with running refrigerators and freezers. The only problem was knowing when the power was restored.
Rural Michigan myself.
I have food (Dried beans, oats, etc)
I have a small generator to keep water pumping and refrigeration on.
I’m good. Would I wish to be without power? No. Will I be fine? Yes.
Come to it, there is no shortage of water around here. Some day I’ll get around to putting in a hand pump.
Good advice though
Californian here.
An earthquake isn’t an”If”, it’s a”when”. Anyone who doesn’t know this and act on it is too stupid to live.
After all the snarky comments about the California blackouts last year and moronic comments about arson regarding the wildfires I really should be laughing right now, but instead I hope everyone gets back on their feet soon.
Except for any senators or reps who have ever voted against disaster aid for us ‘blue’ states (cough, Cruz)
You even pick up the additional protection of the breaker that normally serves the dryer acting as an overload breaker for the generator.
As a Vietnam Veteran and gone through the Big Thompson flood, High park fire, Cameron peak fire Roads closed by 5’ of snow, blocked by wrecks and such I would say that Texas cites are unprepared for life. I do not plan for disasters as they are a way of life in my neighborhood. This city mentality is deadly.
If I need to survive for 3 days to 3 weeks in a situation like that, I'd pack my camping gear into my truck, hit the road, and stay away from the area for as long as necessary. I can drive over 700 miles on a full tank of gas, and there are plenty of state parks, campgrounds and other places in that radius where I could hunker down for a week or two.
For a hypothetical scenario involving an East Coast hurricane, I'd simply head west on I-80 or I-70 until I reached an area where the power was on and the businesses were open, and find myself a campsite.
I noticed that as well. He seems extraordinarily proud of his “intelligence”.
Last year we were out a week. Lotsa layers and blankets until they opened up local "warm" facilities.
Tuna sandwiches, PB&J can hold you for a week. If you can cook, all the better.
The only thing I really missed was coffee....OMG....
Your statement applies to many things smart people do every day. Like own or carry a weapon, or drive a car, or run a chainsaw, or invite your friends over to visit and have a few drinks.
Nobody should ever hook up any kind of electrical device or do any wiring unless they know what they are doing. Why imagine what would happen if you got in the bath tub with your lamp?
In emergency situations people who have brains know how to operate their tools safely. Why not teach how to do a safe emergency connection instead of spouting fear porn.
How much to get this installed?
The blessed generator was only $600 NEW....
The want you to spend more on the switch and installation than the generator costs.
Tell us all, how many linemen or anyone else for that matter was injured or killed by a poorly connected generator last year?
How many people were killed by a firearm?
How many people went to jail for an injury or death due to a generator being connected incorrectly compared to the number of people who went to jail for using a firearm defensively?
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