Last updated on November 26, 2023
I am writing this from our guest suite just before 8:30 p.m. on Monday, February 15, 2021.
[Note: Updates at end, February 20, 2021, 1:30 p.m.]
When we moved to Central Texas, a primary reason was because my body cannot tolerate extreme cold. Of course, it has snowed both winters in Texas and now we are experiencing our first true “ice storm.” I’ve taken photos of plants and tree branches encased in a quarter-inch or more of ice.
The roads are closed, the power has failed, and we’re hoping for the best.
This is the Great Valentine’s Day Freeze of 2021 in our home:
Before the freeze, our year-old LG Smart Refrigerator died. That was before anything else went wrong. We rushed to move food into the chest freezer, an ice chest, and outside in containers. The major roads were already closed, and the local streets were too dangerous to attempt travel.
As it started to snow, we turned on some water faucets in the bathrooms and kitchen. I thought about the guest suite, but didn’t follow through.
The power was off at least twice during the night.
In the morning, we did out best to follow a normal routine. The girls started schoolwork, Susan started her day, and I reported the dead LG refrigerator to warranty repair. I accepted we’d be without a refrigerator for at least two or three days because of the road conditions.
The LG customer support informed me there were no service centers nearby and they’d have to call back within two days. Oh, well. By Wednesday or Thursday I could run emergency errands. That was wishful thinking. By noon, the weather forecast made clear that I was’t going anywhere until at least Friday or Saturday.
We have dry goods, canned goods, bread, peanut butter, almond milk, shelf-stable milk, and so on. We’re generally set for a day or two emergency. We’re not prepared for a week-long emergency.
It was just before lunch that I checked the guest suite bathroom. The water pipes to the bathtub and toilet were frozen. The guest room sink is at least okay. It’s dripping cold water at this moment.
Then, I noticed the damp spots on the ceiling of the guest bathroom. Another in the bedroom. I rushed about checking the other rooms. Yes. Our bathroom and bedroom had damp spots, too, right along the edge where the exterior walls met the roof.
Susan and I rushed into action. I shoveled the driveway just enough to back out our SUV, We managed to get the 14-foot ladder into position at the front of the house. Susan cleared the ice and swept the roof. We did this around the house, breaking apart ice dams so the melting snow wouldn’t cause any more damage. Of course, everything will freeze again tonight.
While outside, my eyes dried out. My right eye hurts… a lot. That’s a pain I know too well. It’s either a tear or an abrasion. This pain is something I first discovered in Minneapolis. It was the sign I had damaged my eyes forever.
The power went out again at 5:30, just as we were trying to feed the girls. It’s been off for at least three hours now. The last update was that service might be restored by midnight. Maybe. The harsh wind and cold might make that impossible.
Without power, the tankless hot water heater, which sits on the exterior of the house, cannot light the gas. (It has no pilot light.) So, now we’re concerned other pipes might freeze.
No power, no hot water, no refrigerator. Sheets of ice everywhere. Ice dams on the roof.
We were already dealing with several family emergencies. I pet that needs to see the vet. Two girls dealing badly with anxiety and stress. My glucose readings were over 190 last night, without a good reason.
And here I thought the loss of the refrigerator one thing too many.
This isn’t easy for any of us, but I’m especially ill-equipped for this much stress.
This Valentine’s Freeze is unlike anything we experienced in Pennsylvania or Minnesota. They were too cold. Too difficult on my mind and body. This is Central Texas, not even North Texas. It was 80F last week, in the winter. I was wearing shorts and talking walks with the girls.
The freeze is going to do a lot of damage to many homes in the region. Houses here aren’t designed for harsh winter weather.
There will be some damage to our house. We’ll need a roof inspection where the leaks were from the ice dams. We’ll need to check one light fixture, which is mounted in the guest bathroom. I’m hoping, maybe unreasonably, that the frozen pipes won’t burst and do serious damage, also leaving us without water for days or weeks.
The girls are camping out in our room, which has windows. Susan has candles in the bathroom and flashlights. I’m in the guest room, typing this between patrols of the house for any emergency situations.
A week ago, the SUV’s windshield cracked — while parked in the garage for days at a time.
It’s one thing after another.
I’m not enjoying 2021. We really didn’t need another stressful year.
[Updates as of February 20, 2021, 1:30 p.m.]
During the week, we were mostly off-line. The Internet and phone services were down. Cell services was also spotty. To keep things charged, we plugged into our fileserver’s UPS. While clearing the driveway, we also charged the phones inside the Subaru, letting it run for a few minutes.
Today, for the first time since Monday, we have water and power. The water remains under a boil advisory, but the city and county hope to have everything “back to normal” early next week.
The freeze lasted a full week. We were without power for 30 to 36 hours. We were never totally without water, but it wasn’t easy. We kept the water running at a trickle and boiled what we could for drinking and washing.
Friday morning, we ran the master bath with hot water knowing the water heater might turn off at any moment. It was a slow, slow process filling the tub a few inches. All four of us used the bath, quickly.
It’s wonderful when you can take a shower after two days.
We’re okay. Most of our neighbors are okay, too.
Based on this experience, we’ve compiled an emergency list above and beyond what we already had on hand. We already had some of these items, but the list is something we used to check in Minnesota and Pennsylvania:
Food in the Pantry:
- Water: We have three jugs, plus small bottles for drinking from Costco.
- Almond Milk: We began with three cases, delivered some to neighbors, have at least one full case left (18 boxes per case).
- Peanut Butter: We rarely have fewer than four jars, two of each variety (I like crunchy).
- Bread: We buy two loaves at a time, and keep two extra in the freezer.
- Canned Chicken: Susan prefers chicken over tuna, but I like to have both handy.
- Canned Tuna: See above. I like tuna.
- Granola and Cereals: They keep… and keep… and keep.
- Protein Bars: They might not taste great, but they have a lot of nutrients.
- Protein Drinks: We had seven cases. We’re down to two or three as of today; great replacement for milks.
- Tea Bags: Trust me, this helps if you have to boil water anyway.
Without a reliable refrigerator, the stocked pantry was essential.
Emergency Supplies:
- Batteries: Flashlights and radios need batteries. The kids can do without electronic games.
- Candles and Flashlights: It’s dark in much of our house, even during the day.
- Radio: You really need a weather-band emergency radio.
- Ice Chest: Yes, you really can put snow in the chest to keep food cold.
- Wipes: When there’s no water, you’ll appreciate having “baby wipes” on hand.
We did well because we were stocked with supplies, as well as food. I’ve already placed online orders to replenish the batteries, upgrade the flashlights, and replace a dying hand-crank weather radio.
We never imagined going through a week-long winter weather emergency in Texas.
Be prepared. Bad things can happen anywhere.