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Texans are getting some mightily mixed news these days.
We have an assurance from our governor, who is running for re-election, that everything is in order. “I can guarantee the lights will stay on in Texas this winter,” Governor Greg Abbott told NBC’s El Paso subsidiary last weekend.
However, from the people who specialize in disaster relief, we have a new, more ambitious target for winter storm preparation. Building on the lessons of the fatal February freeze that left millions of Texans shivering for days without electricity, Austin emergency management is now asking residents to have seven days worth of supplies on hand.
Food that can be kept for seven days.
Seven days of one gallon bottled water per person per day.
“A terrible loss”:Austin experienced days of death and cold while freezing in Texas in February
Seven days of medication and enough battery power to keep flashlights and cell phones working for a week.
In previous years, the city had only proposed three days of emergency supplies. Increasing the recommendation to a full seven days is a big deal that has not drawn nearly enough attention.
The move calls on residents to make even bigger investments in emergency supplies, some of which are not cheap, at a time when food prices and other expenses have skyrocketed. A week’s supplies for a family can easily cost a few hundred dollars.
This new recommendation also poses logistical challenges: For my family of four, for example, I have to find out where to store 28 liters of water. Which is not trivial. Add a few more people, remove the garage, or convert the condo to an upstairs condo and I imagine storing a week’s worth of water would be a challenge for many families.
“Overwhelming, cascading impact on the community”: Report highlights Austin’s error during the freeze
Even so, I cannot argue for a seven-day supply on the grounds. My family was without electricity for two days during the February storm, followed by four days without water. I wish we had better prepared for what turned out to be a week-long disaster. The winter storm resulted in the deaths of at least 28 people in Travis County – some from hypothermia and some from fires set to keep them warm.
Fortunately, weather experts are expecting warmer and drier conditions this winter thanks to La Niña. That may save us, as numerous energy industry experts say Texas hasn’t done enough to protect the grid from another storm like the one we saw in February. Annoyingly, the governor, legislature, and regulators’ failure to fully resolve the problem has placed a greater burden of emergency preparedness on every Texan.
Bryce Bencivengo, a spokesman for the Austins Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, urged people to use sensible storm preparations to find their way. Start with a few bottles of water and a few cans of food. A week later, get some batteries. Get some first aid supplies for the next week.
“The preparation doesn’t have to be done overnight and doesn’t require a huge investment,” Bencivengo told me. He found that bottled water doesn’t need to be bought in-store. People can pour tap water into other food-safe containers, such as empty two-liter soda bottles.
Any preparations you can make will help your household. Your efforts also help the community. Rescue workers cannot reach everyone first. Residents who are able to meet their own needs for a few days are releasing these volunteers to help others who need it urgently, Bencivengo said.
“She was my everything”: A chaotic week of preventable deaths in Austin when Texas froze
For years, Caritas Austin case managers have been talking to their homeless clients about their cold weather plans: How do they stay warm, what do they do for food when the temperature drops.
This year, for the first time, case managers talk to other clients who already have an apartment about winter readiness, said Megan Podowski, deputy program director at Caritas. The non-profit organization expects to help many of its customers get the supplies they need.
“It’s definitely not possible for people who live on their paychecks to prioritize a winter prep rate,” said Podowski. “Batteries are very expensive and it is difficult to carry bottled water when you are on a bus route.”
Caritas’s appeal for donations in winter has also expanded. In the past, the non-profit organization asked for donations of gloves and scarves, items that help people keep warm. This year blankets, radios, flashlights and batteries are required.
Items that help people survive.
I hope Abbott is right. I hope the lights stay on this winter.
But we all need a backup plan in case we don’t.
Grumet is the Metro columnist for Statesman. Your column, ATX in Context, contains their views. Share yours by email at bgrumet@statesman.com or on Twitter at @bgrumet.
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https://www.statesman.com/story/news/columns/2021/12/01/grumet-new-normal-after-february-freeze-7-days-winter-storm-prep/8808142002/
