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Last winter in central Texas opened my eyes. Many of us have realized how unprepared we are to go for days without heating or water.
The peasant almanac predicts a cold winter, but not as strict as last year.
Winter weather forecasts:The farmer’s almanac predicts another cold winter in Texas
The National Weather Service tells us it’s a La Niña year, which means it should be warmer and drier than normal.
Winter weather forecast:How is the weather in La Niña? What is a La Niña winter? What does this mean for central Texas?
Whatever winter brings, now is the time to prepare for low temperatures, ice or snow storms in winter.
Get the essentials
As we learned from last winter, we cannot always rely on our electrical appliances, including ovens and refrigerators. Nor can we rely on getting to a store or having electricity and heat. Here are a few important things to have ready:
Several flashlights and batteries. Avoid using candles, which are a fire hazard.
Bottled water. Have one gallon of bottled water available to drink per person per day. Plan on seven days. Grab extra bottles for washing up and bathing too.
Non perishable foods and a manual can opener. Food optoins include canned meat, soups, vegetables, and fruits; Peanut and other nut butters; and pantry snacks like granola bars and crackers.
First aid kit with bandages, alcohol swabs, antibiotic cream, burn cream, ankle wrap, thermometer, fever reducer / pain reliever and an antihistamine such as Benadryl.
Medicines and medical supplies. Have medication ready at all times for at least a week. If your medication needs refrigeration, have freezer bags and a cool box handy.
Warm clothes and blankets. Layers are your friends that keep you warm.
Firewood, firelighters and lighters. If you have a fireplace, this can be very helpful in keeping warm.
Diapers and towels. Have at least a week worth.
Pet food and accessories.
A shovel and bucket. We now know the power to turn snow into water for flushing toilets. A shovel can also help clear snow from driveways and sidewalks.
Sand, salt, or cat litter. Add traction to icy sidewalks and driveways.
Battery operated or winch weather radio.
Portable cell phone chargers.
Cash. If the power fails far but the roads are passable, ATMS will not work.
Medical equipment. Make a plan for how to supply power to all of the major medical equipment you use at home. This can be a battery backup or a backup generator.
Austin answer:“Overwhelming, cascading impact on the community”: Report highlights Austin’s error during the freeze
Get your car ready
Find out about maintenance now, especially if you’ve worked at home and don’t drive that much. Are your tires and brakes OK? Try to keep your gas tank full.
When the winter weather starts, avoid driving a car. If you get stuck, you have an emergency kit in your car. It should contain:
• Jumper cables
• Sand or cat litter
• A flashlight with extra batteries
• Warm clothes and blankets
• Bottled water and long-life snacks
• A scraper for scraping ice off the car
Make your house ready for winter
Do an insurance assessment. Are you adequately insured if water penetrates through rain, snow or a burst pipe? Does your insurance cover the increase in the value of your home and the cost of rebuilding your home?
Have your heater serviced. Make sure everything is working properly before it gets colder. Most heat pumps last around eight to twelve years. Ovens last 10 to 15 years. Most people swap their heat pumps and stoves for their air conditioners – which only last 10-13 years in Texas – because the systems need to be coordinated. With heat pumps, the compressors tend to go out; in gas stoves it is the igniter. Perform maintenance on your system to extend its life as long as possible.
Your heater may need to be replaced if it is more than 15 years old, needs frequent repairs, energy costs go up dramatically even if your thermostat is set low, it makes loud or strange noises, or the temperature is not constant.
Check the water heater. Most water heaters will last 10-12 years. New water heater standards put into practice in 2015 mean that new water heaters save more energy but are bigger and may not fit in your standard water heater cabinet. See if your water heater is on its way so you can make the change and possibly remodel before you run out of hot water.
Let the chimney sweep and the dryer vent too. You should have your fireplace cleaned every 50 fires or every wood string for a wood-burning fireplace. While you’re at it, the same company can clean your dryer mouth as well. This should be done once a year. Even if it is not time to clean the fireplace, make sure the damper is working and the smoke vent is open. The chimney sweep removes the creosote adhering to the chimney and checks it to ensure that there is no chimney fire, no cracks or animals nestling. Most chimneys last around 20-30 years before cracking. Displacements in the foundation can contribute to cracking.
Never use liquid accelerator, gasoline, or charcoal in the fireplace. Use firelighters instead. A few household items can also be sufficient. Roll dryer lint into small balls or coat cotton balls with petroleum jelly. You can also open a snack pack of Doritos or Fritos and sprinkle these chips between the wood. The oil content is highly flammable.
Do not use newspapers, other types of paper, or rubbish. It can easily break and fly away.
Make sure you leave 2 feet of space around the fireplace and use the screen when a fire is burning. Do not store wood or other flammable objects next to it. Even after the fire has ended, keep the hatch open until you can no longer feel the heat from the fireplace.
Call the plumber. Much of the damage from the winter explosion last year came from burst pipes. Have the plumber check for leaks and check that all toilets are flushing properly, the faucets are not leaking, and the showers have good water flow. A good rule of thumb is to do preventative maintenance on your plumbing every six months to a year and use a water softener to prevent mineral buildup in the pipes.
Stock up on the pipe insulation. Buy a pipe insulator or faucet cover that can be slid onto any exposed pipe or faucet as the temperature drops. If you have already installed pipe insulation, make sure it is in good condition.
Check the attic insulation. The insulation thickens over time. Most attics are rated for an R-39, so you’ll need about 13-14 inches of insulation.
Look at the roof. Winter and spring tend to be wetter in Austin, and the summer sun has just hit your roof. Missing or folded clapboard or granules falling to the floor? You want to see shingles in straight lines. If you see a dent, it could be an indication of roof rot.
Clear out the gutters. This is the time of year when they are clogged with leaves and plant debris. You don’t want them to secure themselves and damage the roof.
Update the landscaping. Our landscaping was badly damaged by the February frost. If you haven’t seen the foliage come back, now is the time to call that plant or tree dead. Fall is the best time to plant these trees and shrubs so they can take root before the summer heat.
Weatherproof around doors and windows. Check the seals around windows and doors for leaks. Add weather protection strips around the doors if you don’t have it or the old strip is worn out. This will help you stay in the heat during the winter.
Check the settlement of the structure. When the weather changes, so does your home. Doors and windows can start to stick. Maybe you just need someone to adjust the door and window locks. If you see cracks in the drywall and foundation, be sure to call a foundation repair company to look this over.
Call the electrician. Make a list of the things that aren’t working and schedule an appointment to save some money.
Change the batteries in the smoke alarm and the carbon monoxide alarm. If you haven’t done it with Daylight Saving, what are you waiting for?
Alternative heat:Austin Energy received few requests for assistance with home generators. There have been hundreds more since the February freeze
Have a communication plan
Who do you need to check in an emergency? Who will check you out? Print out or write down the necessary telephone numbers.
We now rely heavily on cell phones for information. Have a variety of portable chargers ready plugged in and ready to use in the event of a power outage. Consider using a solar powered charger if the power goes out for an extended period of time.
Be ready to go
If your house is unsafe to be in due to burst pipes or a lack of heat, you know where you are going. Stay up to date on where emergency shelters are being set up.
Also, keep important documents such as insurance plans, social security card, driver’s license, passport, and birth certificates handy in a waterproof, fireproof place that you can reach in an emergency.
More resources
Texas A&M has a great severe weather homepage: tamu.edu/emergency/procedures/severeWeather.html.
Ready.gov has a complete preparedness plan and other disaster resources.
The National Weather Service also offers guides: weather.gov/safety/winter.
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https://www.statesman.com/story/lifestyle/home-garden/2021/11/12/la-nina-winter-weather-texas-forecast-guide-home-car-pets/6252119001/
