Lessons Learned from the Recent Polar Vortex

The "polar vortex" is still going strong but a good way to prep for future storms is to see what works and what doesn't work from people who are actually living through it...

• What's happening in Michigan
• The polar vortex killed a toilet?
• How to handle being indoors for a long period of time
• How things are going in the Mid West
• Prepping for a natural gas shortage
• Prepping for -50 degrees
• All about Michigan this week
• And several dispatches from Minnesota

10 Ways to Follow the Winter Weather

For people in most of the US, no one has to tell you it's cold (or icy, or snowy, et al).  To keep on top of the latest weather news check out:

1. Weather.com
2. Weather.gov
3. NOAA
4. Weather Underground
5. AccuWeather
6. CDC Severe Weather
7. FEMA
8. ESRI Severe Weather
9. The Disaster Center
10. RSOE EDIS (click on layers, show weather layer)

Are You Ready for the Cold?

If you haven't watched the news recently, you may not know that a massive arctic weather system is headed towards the US (and not just part of the US but it will impact MOST of the US).  Even in Las Vegas we are expecting below freezing temperatures which is not unheard of but is also not very common.  Here's some tips to prep for the cold weather that is heading our way:

• Wrap your water pipes and insulate your exterior faucets (drain and remove hoses as well).
• Be sure you have plenty of food, water, and supplies at home (you may not be able to get out to the store for a few days).
• Prepare for power outages, a common event in icy weather.  Make sure you have an alternative heating system, and alternative way to cook and heat water. Keep stored water on hand, especially if you have a well and need electricity to draw water.  Have fresh batteries in your flashlights and radio to use during a power outage.
• Be aware of the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning (ie: don't use non-indoor heating appliances to heat your home as this can KILL you).
• Get your car ready for the cold (check the oil, check the tires, add antifreeze, put new wiper blades on, etc).
• Bring pet inside during particularly bad weather.
• Make sure that water for your outdoor animals is not frozen over.
• Keep sand or salt on hand to make your deck/walkway/driveway less slippery.
• If you use wood for heating and cooking, make sure you have extra on hand.
• Top off your oil tank if you use oil for heating or hot water.
• Make sure your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors have fresh batteries.
• Although it is short notice, any extra caulking insulating you can do (to your windows, your attic, etc) will help.
• Pay attention to the news for current updates on the weather in your area.
• If you need to renew prescriptions in the near future, do it now.
• Dress appropriately for the weather and avoid hypothermia.
• Know where your city's emergency shelters are ahead of time (you may never need it but a big tree coming through your roof can change this).

More cold weather tips can be found here, here and here.

Cold Weather Survival

Today it was freezing outside. Literally. Actually most of the day it was around 20 degrees outside with no let up in sight. Here's some cold weather survival tips in case the weather is similar at your place:

In your car:

• Make sure your car has anti freeze in it, not just water.
• Realize that ice and black ice are very real possibilities any time the temperatures dip below freezing. Bridges and overpasses are particularly susceptible to freezing. In any case, stay home if possible and if not possible, drive with extreme care. Note that if you hit ice, it won't matter how carefully you have been driving, you will slide anyway.
• Check the emergency supplies in your car to make sure every thing is ready to go (batteries in flashlights, water and food that has been rotated recently, etc). Also, add items that you will need for cold weather including cat litter (for traction) and a shovel as well as extra blankets, etc.
• Consider using studded tires (note that they aren't non-slip) and always carry chains if there is any possibility that you will end up traveling in the snow.
• Check to make sure that your windshield washer fluid is the type that won't freeze.
• If you are driving a truck, consider adding extra weight in the back for extra traction.

Outside:

• Be careful walking! Our Volksmarch excursion last weekend had me a bit concerned with all of the elderly people who were participating. I wasn't concerned with their ability to walk the 6+ miles, but I was worried about them slipping on the roads (who'd have thought the white painting on the cross walks could get so slippery?). With black ice, one wrong step, and you could be on your ass. Not good no matter what your age is.
• Note that even if you are careful walking down the street, cars that are coming at you could slide on the ice and you could be toast. Pay attention to everything and be ready to jump out of the way if necessary.
• Dress warmly and depending on the weather (ie: subfreezing with a high wind chill factor) go inside often to warm up.

Your home:

• This can't be repeated enough...never use a generator/barbecue grill/anything else that combusts inside your home. You will die from the carbon monoxide.
• Insulate any exposed water pipes so they won't freeze then burst. I've had this happen and it wasn't pleasant. You will want to cover the outside faucets and if you have water pipes running in an uninsulated part of your home (ie: under your home, below the insulation) be sure to wrap them with insulation or heated pipe wrap.
• If your house is cold as some older homes tend to be if not well insulated, "hibernate" in one room with a space heater. The space heater will keep the room toasty warm even if the rest of the house is on the cool side. Note that you don't want to turn the heat in your house completely off as you don't want things in your house to freeze.
• Get ready for a power outage. Often with freezing weather comes downed tree branches and downed power lines which can knock out power for hours or days. Be sure you are prepared for a power outage with alternate sources of heat, communications, easy to prepare food, etc.
• If your home becomes unlivable (no heat, no power, no water because of a burst pipe, etc) seek refuge at a community shelter which are often set up during the coldest days of the year. Better to suffer some place warm than to suffer and freeze to death.
• Check on elderly neighbors. Whether because of declining mental state or declining ability to judge temperature, some elderly literally freeze to death during times of severe weather. If you have friends or neighbors who are elderly, check on them to ensure they have heat, have firewood where they can reach it, and if you really want to help them, offer to run any errands for them so they won't have to get out in the icy cold.

If you are outside:

• There is a huge difference if you are outside by choice or necessity (ie: participating in outdoor sports versus being homeless).
• If you are outside by choice, of course dress warmly in layers and in sub-freezing temps, make sure everything is covered (ears, fingers, face, etc). Also be sure to seek shelter throughout the day to warm up. Carry hand warmers with you. Also, if you will be out skiing, snowshoeing, or otherwise in the wilderness, be sure to carry an avalanche beacon and a complete cold weather emergency kit with you at all times.
• If you are homeless, dress warmly (many shelters and social service agencies are providing hats, coats, and gloves for free), and seek shelter indoors whenever possible (ie: at an overnight shelter, or at the mall or library or shelter during the day).
• If you are homeless and decide to stay in your outside shelter, dress warmly and insulate the shelter with extra tarps, blankets, etc. Do not get wet! If you get wet and stay cold you can easily get hypothermia and die. Consider using hot water bottles (easily made with warm water put in a soda bottle--you can even use urine to fill the bottles--it's warm). If you have a dog, all the better--they are quite warm to cuddle up to.
• If you end up sleeping outdoors for what ever reason, don't drink alcohol. Alcohol and frigid temperatures don't mix and you can easily die since alcohol numbs your ability to judge how cold you are. Also, be careful with fire. Having a fire on the coldest of nights is a good idea but don't let it get out of hand and catch anything else on fire.

Pets and Livestock:

• Dogs who aren't used to the cold can not be left outside for long on the freezing pavement without damaging their feet. I know it looks weird but if you want to walk your dog in sub-freezing temps, fashion some kind of shoes for them.
• Bring pets in at night, even those that usually stay outside. During the coldest nights we always used to bring our dogs in to the kitchen and barricade it so they couldn't roam around the rest of the house. For livestock, ensure that they have a dry, draft-free place to shelter.
• Be sure to check outside water bowls/troughs throughout the day (take a hammer with you because you will probably need to break up the ice that is covering them). You may also want to give your animals extra feed to carry them through the colder weather.
• Always keep pets and livestock away from anti-freeze and de-icing chemicals which can injure or kill them.

Other Random Tips:

• If you take the bus or other public transit, check the appropriate website to see if the icy weather has changed anything (routes, times, etc).
• Check the kid's school website each morning as well. Sometimes freezing weather will cause a delayed opening or, with heating problems, may close the school all together.
• Depending on your employer, icy weather may cause them to institute their bad weather policy which could mean delays in opening, closures around the base/campus, etc. Know these things before you head out to work.
• Do you know where your homeowners insurance policy is? It's always a good thing to have on hand when potential disaster threatens.

Snowed In (Again)

Over the past week, we've been snowed in for three or four days. The snow cleared a bit yesterday so we ventured out and took a look around. Today the snow is about a foot deep with no end in sight. Here's some random observations:

• Getting out yesterday, I went by the office to drop off some things and ran into a guy who was entering the building as I was leaving. "Jeez you should have seen the store!" he said, lamenting the fact that it was a zoo and he wasn't prepared so had to partake in the zoo-like atmosphere. Being curious, my next stop was the store. I didn't need anything but wanted to see what he was talking about. It was the craziest sight I've ever seen. The parking lot was jammed and the line of people and carts waiting to check out completely circled the outer perimeter of the store. Those people probably had a good hour or more wait to get checked out. If this is what happens when a couple day storm is forecasted, can you imagine what would happen if a long term event took place? Scary. Think I'm uping the production in my garden next spring, looking into powdered eggs, and improving my stock of milk (frozen milk, canned milk, and powdered milk). I already have plenty of grains stocked along with canned goods and baking ingredients but it seemed like at the store, everyone needed milk and eggs as well as baskets full of processed food. Note to them--with the basics, you can make just about anything from potato chips to frozen burritos to chocolate donuts.
  
• Later yesterday, I left the spouse with the car at the mall and took the bus into the city and back (btw, traffic at the mall was craziness redefined yesterday). This was the first time I had ever taken public transportation when the roads weren't so great. Lesson learned: be prepared to wait, and wait, and wait. The buses got there eventually but nowhere near the scheduled time.
  
• People here do not know how to drive in the snow! Driving in huge snow storms on the east coast is a piece of cake compared to driving here. I guess because this area does not get much snow, people don't know how to drive when a bit of snow falls. Some problems: driving too fast (duh, even with a four wheel drive, you can't really drive regular freeway speeds), driving too slow (on the other hand were people afraid to go anywhere near normal speed and they ended up getting stuck because they have no momentum to carry them over the slippery, hilly parts), and not being prepared (no chains available meant no go up many of the hills around here). Another note, if you have a front wheel drive car, it helps to NOT put the chains on the rear wheels (another duh).
  
• It's best to stay home. It's not like we will be snowed in forever. A few days and all of this snow will be gone. Today, either because it was a weekend day or people decided not to risk it, most everyone in our neighborhood stayed home. Unless you are an emergency service provider, why risk it to get to work? Besides, everyone else will be home anyway so it isn't like your phone will be ringing off the hook at the office.
  
• Being snowed in is a great time to catch up on little home projects that have been waiting. I got my files all sorted out for next year, a door knob fixed, and some writing caught up on. The spouse baked some bread, finished a sewing project, and cleaned out a closet. Overall a very productive day.
  
• We broke out the cold weather gear. Since the first day of snow, our daily exercise has consisted of walking through the neighborhood, checking on an elderly neighbor, and walking out to check the main roads. This required gathering up all of the cold weather gear that hadn't been used since last winter. Insulated boots, socks, ski pants, long underwear, fleece jacket, parka, gloves, hat, etc. Now it is kept in a central location and ready to go. A recent apartment fire in the city pointed out that you need to have this gear ready to go. The poor people from the apartment were left standing outside in the snow as their building burned, some with only thin jackets. Not good. Be prepared.
  
• Stay informed. If the power is on, this is easy. Simply check the website for your local newspaper, local department of emergency management, and local road department for updates. If the power is out, listen to your battery-operated radio or use your cell phone to check the aforementioned websites if possible.

Baby It's Cold Outside

As I write this I am holed up in my office with a space heater on my feet and an outside temperature that is plunging towards 10 degrees. It's snowy and icy and if you stay outside too long your face goes numb. Now if you live in the mid west or northeast this is pretty normal during the winter but for where I live, this type of weather is relatively uncommon. For those who need some cold weather survival tips, here they are:

• If you don't need to go out on the icy, snowy roads, stay home. The fewer people sliding around on the roads, the better.


• If you must go out, be prepared. Make sure you car has all of the cold weather gear you need including an ice scraper, tire chains, a full tank of gas, spare blankets, food, and water. If you will be driving a long distance in bad weather, leave an itinerary.


• Consider taking the bus or a cab if you aren't comfortable driving in bad weather.


• Practice driving in icy and snowy conditions by heading to the biggest parking lot you can find and testing your car's ability to stop, start, and maneuver on the slippery road surface.


• Dress appropriately. Sturdy shoes, socks, layered clothing, a hat, gloves, scarf, et al will help protect you from the bitter cold. Make sure your kids are similarly dressed--frostbite and hypothermia are unpleasant.


• Be aware of your surroundings. If you are walking by cars, they may not be able to stop so give them plenty of room. If the walkway is steep and icy, walk to the side in the grass. Watch out for frozen tree branches and power lines; they can sometimes break under the weight of the ice.


• Take care of animals and pets. Ensure that they have a relatively warm and dry place to sleep. Make sure their feet are not damaged by the ice and cold. Also check their water to make sure it isn't frozen solid.


• Keep an eye on the kids. Not only is school usually out when there is heavy snow and ice, the most exciting things to do can be dangerous such as sliding down the biggest snowy hill in town which ends at a busy road or playing on a pond that is not sufficiently frozen solid.


• Check the outside of your home. Make sure that faucets and pipes are protected from freezing. Take down weak tree branches (hopefully before the big freeze hits) before they fall down. Keep walkways and driveways snow and ice free to prevent slips and falls.


• Hunker down inside your home. Close doors to unused rooms and concentrate the heat in the lived in areas (our heat is down at 60 degrees and is continually running because it is so cold outside and we are using space heaters to quickly and efficiently heat the room we are in). Instead of each family member hanging out (and thus requiring a high level of heat) in each of their rooms, fire up the wood stove or space heater and have everyone congregate in the family or living room.


• Should the power go out, determine if you can stay in your home or must evacuate.


• If you must evacuate, call 211 and find out what local shelters are open. Or you may want to head to your bug out location or drop in for a period of time with family, friends, or a local hotel that has power.


• If you decide to stay home during a power outage, gather everyone and their blankets into the warmest room in the house and close the door. Set up your alternate heat source and/or generator (ensure these are safely vented to the outside!) and break out the non-electric entertainment items (books, board games, etc).


• Regularly check on elderly or infirm friends and neighbors to ensure that they are warm and safe.


• After the thaw, check your home to make sure pipes hadn't been damaged and to clean up whatever mess is left from the storm.