Preparing for the Big Winter Storm

You just break my heart. Don't hurt your back shoveling all that sunshine off the drive...

Should be above 0F all this week here.

 

I am disappointed I couldn't go to my house in Harlingen because of today's surgery.

 

I'm scheduled to have eye surgery on Monday and Tuesday, IF the weather cooperates, but it's looking like ice on Monday and 4F on Tuesday. We may have to punt and try again later.

 

Here in west central Mississippi, we'll start getting some snow and freezing rain tomorrow afternoon and overnight, into Sunday morning, followed by rain with temps hovering right around freezing. Then it won't get back up above freezing until late Tuesday morning, so whatever's frozen will remain so until then.
Fully expecting to lose power, and since I live in an apartment with electric heat, then I'm expecting to get COLD. Got flushing water for the toilet already to go, and will bottle some gallon jugs tomorrow for extra whatever water (cooking or flushing). Got a little camp stove and propane, so I can heat and cook if necessary, with plenty of canned goods already stocked up. Two decent sized power banks charging tonight, so I can keep my phone on, and will ensure everything stays plugged in tomorrow, until the power goes away.
Picked up a twin air mattress, and figure if it comes down to it, the big bathroom (located in the center of the apartment) will be my warm spot. That size mattress will fit in there, and if I've got the door cracked open, a 3-wick candle should give me heat to survive with. Plenty of flashlights and batteries on hand. Oh, and the potted brassicas out on the patio will come inside, so they don't croak in the overnight cold, Sunday and Monday nights.
Pretty sure I've got everything I need. And if I don't, I'll write it down for next time!

 

There’s a storm coming?

 

I’d think in an apartment setting a Big Buddy heater would be perfect. It has a shutoff if CO gets too high. Get plenty of propane to feed it.

 

We are only going to get some light fluffy stuff here in the SE Mitten. Maybe 5 or so.
We get the cold.
south of ohio .. they be effed. Texas to NY.

 

Depending which of three weather chanels I look at, we here in North Florida are expecting 21 to 29 degrees Monday and Tuesday night and high 20s to low 30s the rest of next week. I'll dribble my outdoor water faucets, try to prevent the burst pipe I had last January when similar weather hit us, though we aren't supposed to get snow this time. I have a few power banks charged to keep my phones going, plenty food and water to get through a few days. Losing power will mean no heat, but I've dealt with that before. These Florida winters are mild to y'all up north, but can be brutal to us.

 

It has begun! We are getting sleet, the roads are white, I've called out at work, and I'm enjoying a second cup of coffee. It's gonna be a loooong weekend. Stay safe and rejoice that you are a prepper!

 

You live in a winter storm.

 

It's too late to get propane or anything else.

 

Yep, time to "hunker in the bunker"! Take note of anything you find you needed, get it stashed for next time, once the storm is past.

 

Yeah, folks tend to forget about their preps once the event is past. They use their propane in gas grills and fish-fryers. The stored gasoline gets used in lawnmowers and such. Things wear out or break and don't get repaired or replaced. Anything mechanical needs to be started and run a few times per year to ensure that they will work when needed. There was a short story titled, "Bugging Out- A Short Story", in the SM Reading Room that showed that the perils of being totally unprepared were about the same as being only partially prepared. You gotta invest that last little bit of money and time to make it all work or you've wasted ALL your time and money!

 

You are 100% correct. Plan ahead.
My freeking daughter was supposed to come here yesterday ,, bring her boyfriend to help me take care of shit before this storm crap hit today ,, I didn't have much to do,, just could have used an extra hand. So they never showed up ,, so I took care of it today ,, no problem,, just that I really don't need to be on ladders or roofs ,, but I can do it. Thought they would show up today ,, they didn't,, so I got the ladder,, did what I needed done. Then fired up the fire barrel ,, burning off limbs and leaves . And rotating my beer stock in the fridge ,, the great outdoors ,, beer ,, and a fire barrel makes for a peaceful afternoon.
So ,, the freeking sleet starts a little while ago,, daughter calls ,, and says I might need to bring her some antifreeze ,, for my car,, that I'm letting her ,, and her boyfriend use !!!!
WTF,,, reminded her they were supposed to help me,,, yesterday ,,, and didn't show up then ,, or today ,, wtf is wrong with these younger folks ,,, I've tried my whole life to get her to prepare for life as best you can ,, and evidently,, it didn't work .
Had to remind her ,, my fire barrel ,,, and beer time ,,, doesn't coincide with her ,, and her boyfriends lack of common sense and stupidity.
Just told her to drain the radiator,, crank the engine ,, pump the water out ,, and fill it up before she drives it again ,,,
I got custody of her when she was about 6- 7 yrs old ,,,, and now 30+ yrs later ,,,, ,, I m finding out how much breath I've wasted the past 30 yrs or so .
Excuse me for ranting here ,,, I just don't understand how folks tend to expect it's someone else's problem ,, to take care of shit that they themselves are responsible for ,, carry on folks ,,, hope you all fare well throughout this weather spell .
I've got a few pine trees around the property here ,, haven't had the chance to thin them out yet ,, sat back at the fire barrel a little bit ago ,, looking at them ,,, and trying to calculate which way they're gonna fall if they ice up and hit the ground ,,, then tried to park my trucks out of the danger zones .
Good luck to you all ,, stay safe out there.
See ya on the other side ,,,,

 

Stopped for a few groceries at the Walmart on the way home today, and they seemed to be fully stocked. We are expecting 3-5” of snow this weekend, but I guess that isn’t enough to set off a panic.

 

In rice and crawfish country, you would think a hurricane is coming the last few days and people getting crazier hahaha.
We ready,test ran the generator yesterday, still have a Honda in the garage as back-up.
If people are not ready by today ,let them eat fish heads and freeze!

 

Local stores were running short of bread,butter, milk, taters, beef and chicken broth. I guess lotsa soup is planned as those sections were nearly bare. Plenty of fresh meat though. The Cali, NYC, and Colorado transplants were going nuts grabbing stuff. Just like during covid.

I’ve got a few extra gallons of water and plenty of likker, and fire wood. So here I set, sipping whiskey, and surfing.

Jim

 

Temps have been revised here upper 20's no precipitation

 

So far, we have dodged the bullet as far as power outages. We have had no snow, but some sleet. Currently, the temps are in the 30s with cold rain. This morning, I woke up to ice dams in the gutters. I spent an hour outside in the rain and cold getting the ice out of the gutters, and I may never be warm again. I'm sooo glad that I didn't put leaf guards on the gutters!