Ice Storm up date
 

St. louis got hit big time by an Ice Storm 2 nights ago. 400,000 houses out of power. At the local Home Depot Generators were gone by 8:30 next morning.

We will be blessed by God if we don't have stories of frozen dead people found in their homes.

I got to take my sportcat and 5 propane bottles to a friends house to help them through the night. They just will not leave.

I recommend getting some kerosene heaters for your homes if you live where winter gets ugly. Maybe a wood stove and wood for a week or two.

This is serious, its in the twenties tonight here on day three and many are without heat.

Electric-Amish

Re: Ice Storm up date
 

Re: Ice Storm up date
 

I would like to suggest including a roll of visqueen (should already have it for chem attacks according to the Fed) and a carbon monoxide detector. When the power goes out here for a long time it seems like it's always cold (sub 0F not unheard of). I depend on a half-size kerosene heater for alternate heat. During the the infamous St Patty's day "Storm of the century" a couple years ago here in the CO front range our power was out for 8 days.

First Day, 10 inches deep and snowing about 2in/hr when the power clicks off:
Put everyone in the living room.
Hang old blankets over the windows. Hang visqueen in front of that, taped all around. Use the blue painters tape and you won't have to repaint.
Hang visqueen in double-layers over the doors (bathroom stays cold but not freezing).
Stockpile water in case of pipe burst. No showering available so the tub made a good tank.
Heat water on top of kerosene heater. Eat hot stuff. Double boiled Chef Boyardee, anyone? (pierce can first!)
Dig out front door.

Second Day, 4ft deep:
Curse the power company.
Hang visqueen along other side of interior (uninsulated wall) to create a dead air space.
Bring canned goods into the heat so they don't freeze.
Get as much water out of other pipes as possible.
Read.
Dig out front door.

Third Day, only snowing 1/4in per hour this morning!:
Go outside and hang visqueen on outside of windows with a stapler, had to dig them out. Oh well, I was bored. Dig out more for an emergency exit. Dig out front door.
Ride snow machines up and down the interstate. The plows won't be here for days. Good times.
Hey, cool! One of the bars in town has a generator. Spend FRNs, watch news, listen to jukebox.
Digging out the front door is harder with a belly full of beer.

After that it was pretty uneventful. It stopped snowing, after all. Power came on in the evening on day 8. mmmmm, television. It sure did make me wish for gas-fired appliances though, AFAIK I can run thermostats with 12V from a car battery. 8 days without a shower is a little much, even for a dirtbag like me. The only other thing that really bothered me was the lack of a clock. I have a wind up clock now.

Over 8 days my little "tent" used most of a 5Gal K-1 container and maintained 65+F. Gotta love those half-size heaters and some dead air space. Grandma's old oil-lamp sure came in handy too.

Re: Ice Storm up date
 

Take care of yourselves.
Youll be in my thoughts.
Know that the grand PooBah or Poohbarina..or whatever IT is that looks after All is there...I think.

Hey Ponce!..if you still cruise through these parts..Aloha.

I for some reason just thought of Ponce..probably thinking about "The Force".

Peace on this planet to all.:smile:

Re: Ice Storm up date
 

I keep my 30 foot camper (the Alamo) heated all winter, comes in handy.

Especially when I have company overflow.

Makes a good mother-in-law house too, when mother comes over I move out there ....

Re: Ice Storm up date
 

Its going to get cold tonight. Its clear as a bell and that means heat radiates off into space even faster off reflective ice. 13 degrees tonight.

I am feeling sorry for folks without power.

Home Depot updates. Some power came back on and returns of Kerosene heaters tickled in. They were bought back up within minuets.Lots of people are figuring out ways to hot wire their furnaces from generators. Some of these people are geniuses. Necessity being the mother of invention and all.

Its so sad to have people walk up to you and ask about a way to heat there house.

Power companies have loaned out employees from as far away as North Carolina.

Power is coming back on but not fast enough I fear to avoid problems for many. Fires usually start and burn after serious cold spells here because of the unsafe heating practices used.

E-A

Re: Ice Storm up date
 

Keep up the updates!!! Stay safe!

I started another thread about indoor heaters because of those storms. Are you running a generator?

Re: Ice Storm up date
 

I'm glad to say it never gets killing cold here. Our sleeping bags would keep us alive. 20s is as bad as it gets and that is briefly.

But heat is the killer here. And power matters there too, though you can take cold showers and probably get by. But we lose some elderly with weak hearts every bad heat wave. It generally is counted as heart disease, not heat death, but it actually is both. Many tend to skimp on their electric bills even if the power is on, and die, essentially, of poverty.

That is my biggest beef with our whole corporate power system for utilities. Homes that stay cool enough or warm enough to support life at both fragile ends as part of the design without additional monthly payments is something I hope we learn to strive for as home buyers, builders, remodelers, consumers, etc.

As better technologies for home generated electricity from sun or wind start being available I'm going to upgrade. I do not like needing any input from off my property. Luxuries from all over the planet is fine, but a society that does not build homes people can survive in during various kinds of economic or weather hard times is making a big nasty mistake.

I hope everybody made it through EA. Good for you for helping your friends.

Re: Ice Storm up date
 

"Its so sad to have people walk up to you and ask about a way to heat there house."

If one lives in an area that heat is required to survive, and doesn't have a backup source of heat, they are flat being foolish. You may not need it but once in a decade, but that is enough reason to have it.

Unfortunately, the big screen tv and the latest game box seem to take precedence over common sense items.

Glad you're hanging in there, E-A.