It is 7 below zero here in Oklahoma and we are out of power this morning.

[redstatebluegirl]

The grid is in danger of overload so we will have rolling blackouts off and on today. We have a small generator but it will only run space heaters, not the furnace (we have an old house). Currently wrapped in blankets with the fireplace going. Hoping the pipes don't freeze, they say teh rolling blackouts will be for 2 hours at a time. Great, nothing wrong with the power infastructure in the US right?

[MuseRider]

1. Oh that is just awful!

Please take care. We were supposed to have rolling black outs but they changed their mind when the wind was not bad so that chill was missing. Today we start a warming trend, this has been a very long cold snap. I hope your pipes are OK. Mine froze in the barn, that is going to be a mess but my house is safe. I am up in NE Kansas so I hope the warming trend goes South quickly.

[olegramps]

25. All of the delivery systems should be buried. We took the cheap way out and now pay.

Every line that needs replacement should be buried even if it is a rather short span. Once in the ground they are virtually impervious to these types of disasters. If this can not be accomidated then the llines should be support with steel of concrete pilliars, not the wooden poles which over time will have to be replaced.

[TEB]

2. Turn on faucets

To a steady drip that should hopefully keep pipes unfrozen sink kitchen bath tub wish I could be more help

[Zoonart]

6. Good advice.

mine are dripping right. now.

[redstatebluegirl]

7. ours are dripping now

My husband went to get our neighbor, she is 80 and no fireplace, at least our fireplace keeps us warm and the space heaters keep the pipes from freezing. I worry, her house is so drafty.

[TEB]

12. Thank you

For watching out for neighbor can you layer clothes loosely also that will help with warming you all.

[redstatebluegirl]

14. We are doing that.

[TEB]

16. And make sure the husband

Warms the commode lid up for you I do feel terrible for you all. At least here in northeast are mountains block those howling winds.

[redstatebluegirl]

56. No kidding!

[Iliyah]

3. Oh my . ..

Lots of hugs.

[Squinch]

4. Oh, boy. Keep us posted on how this works out for you. Glad you have the fireplace.

[redstatebluegirl]

15. The fireplace is a blessing as long as the wood holds out :-).

[NurseJackie]

29. When we lived in a house with a fireplace...

... it kept ONE room toasty (the LR/den) ... but because of the updraft for the heat/smoke, it cooled down the rest of the house as cold air seeped in through the cracks. (It was an older house.) I hope you're insulated.

[redstatebluegirl]

41. We just got additional insulation last summer.

[Zoonart]

5. My heart goes out to you guys.

Have dealt with this situation may times, but living in the Northeast, we consider it, just a normal winter. Stay warm. Remember to wear a hat... you loose a lot of body heat off your head.

We are in the middle of an ice storm...60 miles north of New York City. More snow coming later this week.
Nothing like you are dealing with.

Stay safe.

[redstatebluegirl]

13. Thanks and stay warm Zoonart!

[central scrutinizer]

8. Fortunately your Senator is well informed

[link:http://

|

[redstatebluegirl]

10. I don't need reminded of this idiot today.

[usaf-vet]

49. This idiot is responsible with others for IGNORING science based FACTS.

[UpInArms]

9. Stay as warm as you can, dear redstatebluegirl

Let your faucets drip and your pipes should not freeze

Wish I could send you some warmth, I have heat, but it is -13 here

[redstatebluegirl]

11. Thank so much!

It has been an hour and a half now. It should come back on soon.

[LiberalLoner]

17. Oh my goodness, I hope you will be okay and hope things get back to normal!

[NutmegYankee]

18. Do ypu have traditional gas hot water heater?

If so, you can blast the shower on full hot to add some warmth/moisture to the dry air. The air will cool down a bit slower afterwards.

[CaptainTruth]

19. If it's a tub/shower, collect that hot water in the tub.

[redstatebluegirl]

21. Great idea, we tried that and it worked! We kept the hot water in the tub.

[redstatebluegirl]

22. I love the icon you use, I would love to see that on a tshirt!

We get science tshirts for the kids in our lab every year, that would be a great one!

[NutmegYankee]

24. I actually took it from a T-shirt logo

https://www.teeshirtpalace.com/products/stand-back-im-going-to-try-science-t-shirt

[redstatebluegirl]

45. Thanks!

[yaesu]

20. looks like a total of 164,000 in your state without power, TX is showing 4,349,194 without power. nt

[redstatebluegirl]

23. Thanks everyone, the power just came back on, 2 hours total.

Annie, our neighbor will be staying here today in case it goes off again. They say we should just have one per day for the next couple of days, but I don't trust the power company one bit.

This is a first for us, I know our friends in the northeast are used to it. These houses are not designed for this weather.

Stay warm!

[grantcart]

53. Good to hear

[CaptainTruth]

26. We're all thinking of you & everyone who's suffering through this freeze!

It's an old trick but you can fill bottles with hot water & keep them under covers/clothes.

Like my mom & dad would warm irons on the wood stove (back when an iron was literally a chunk of cast iron with a detachable handle) at bed time, wrap it in cloth, & then put it by their feet under the covers in bed.

[luvtheGWN]

27. Can't believe how cold it is for you.

We just had a major snowstorm blow through here in Niagara -- dropping about a foot of the white stufff. The temp sits at -10C, which translates to 14F, so -7F is too damn cold for you.

Keeping fingers crossed that my 3-yr-old snowblower starts! I just have to shovel over to the shed where it is kept. Not gonna be fun!

No power outages here (our town has its own hydro-electric, partly paid for with our taxes plus monthly charges of course), but I'm feeling very bad for you all in the south. This climate change is unholy.

[ecstatic]

28. Wow! I honestly cannot imagine.

Stay warm! I assume you've taken the standard precautions with regard to the pipes, so hopefully it'll be okay.

[ancianita]

30. So damned mad about this, red. And will any heads roll in OKC over this?

Please hang in there.

[redstatebluegirl]

46. The gas companies slowed production

last summer to try and increase natural gas prices, now we are paying for that.

[redstatebluegirl]

47. The gas companies slowed production

last summer to try and increase natural gas prices, now we are paying for that.

[ancianita]

60. So sorry.

I hope Texans come out of this realizing this is no way to run a state's energy, and that corporate control of energy has got to end. I hope you've gotten good advice and help here.

[usaf-vet]

31. First I hope everyone stays safe and get through this. Next remember the worst of what you have....

...... or had to endure when you vote in future elections.

And yes, every election does matter. When you are told, global warming/climate change is happening, believe the scientists.

When you have the choice of voting for someone who wants to push for more renewable energy sources, listen to the experts who tell you the nation needs to move to renewables before it is too late.

On the other hand, if you choose to ignore the scientists, then........ remember that often God is given credit for the perceived good's that happen in one's life. In fairness, you must consider God's role in the weather Genesis 7:12.

God could also be given the credit for bringing us the scientist that have seen what is in our future and the need for renewable energy sources to fight climate change.

[redstatebluegirl]

44. Since I am married to a scientist, science is what we

live by.

[usaf-vet]

48. Great we need more scientist to be listen to. Mine is a B.S. in Biology. However....

.... through the fates in life, I was in graduate school when this small, mostly unknown company called Apple released its first personal computer. One showed up in the USDA lab I worked in and sat in a box unopened for months. One day in the middle of a winter snowstorm, I asked if I could open the box and see what was in it. Six months later, I had written a program to crunch the field data I had gather over the previous summer.

And 30 years later I retired as a computer consultant working primarily with government agencies. Ending my career as the IT director in a public school.

Now 40 years after getting my degree in biology, I still wish fate had led me to a job as a field biologist. However, I take comfort in knowing that I help send many young men and women into science base careers with the computer skills they needed to start those careers.

[3825-87867]

32. Occasional Ice Storms here in Western Pa.

Power goes out in summer storms more often than winter.

Instead of recycling an old one, I keep an old car battery (actually 2 of them) charged as much as it can (doesn't have to be full or be able to start a car) with an electric charger BEFORE the emergency. Battery chargers can go for $25 to $100 depending on load capability. I've had a couple for years so they are always ready. I bought some bright LED Strips from Amazon. It's easy to connect them to the battery as they are 12 volt. Buy some clamps and/or use black electrical tape. They use virtually no power and a 4 foot or longer string can light a room almost daylight-like.

I also have three power inverters (45 bucks each that can provide 110 vts @500 watts for using 60 to 100 watt electric light bulbs (NOT LED Bulbs). You can get inverters that will put out 100 to 1000 watts from car batteries. Put these in a (Mechanics) clamp light (has that aluminum reflector bowl around it) and you'd be surprised at the amount of heat a single bulb gives off. You can also use 12vt lights from an auto store that use less wattage and don't supply as much heat but will last longer.

Put the batteries on something safe (board, floor, counter top etc. NOT something metallic) when in use.

Almost ALL inverters will also charge phones and run radios or even smaller portable TVs. Get an app that lets you watch TV on your phone. There are also items that attach to the phone that allow you to watch "Over the Air" (OTA) Local TV Local Channels to keep informed in your area. They run around $35.

The car battery lasts well over 12 hours continuous with a lot of light bulbs on and with care (off and on times) can last a day. With decent inverters you can even use a microwave to heat water which can also give off heat somewhat longer. You can also get those small auto heaters to provide limited short-term warmth, BUT they use up a lot of watts!

Total investment over a summer was about $200. Have had to use this setup a number of times the last 10 years. Worth the trouble and investment.

After the emergency, make sure to recharge the car battery(s) as much as can be done. Then keep checking it every month or so to make sure it's charged in case you need it again.

There are lots of ways to help you keep warm and lit and even help provide warm food and water capabilities on the net. Check them out.

Good luck.

I will try to post this on the General Discussion Group also as it may help some on the future.

[SWBTATTReg]

50. Clever and smart! Thanks for the tips.

[LibfromtheNorth]

33. Stay safe everyone...

I would love to send hugs but they may freeze on the way. It's -18F where I am.

Just another day in the North

[Tess49]

34. Just experienced my first rolling blackout. Power was out about an hour. In Norman, Okla.

[Woodwizard]

37. Power out here in the Catskills.

It happens so often i am putting a permanent outlet set in the house instead of running an extension cord to the generator. Do have solar battery backup for lighting and small appliances.

We heat with wood so that is not an issue.

[Tess49]

59. I have ice melt. That's about it. n/t

[TinCup]

35. I thought I did a bad job of pre planning.

A once in 50 year cold front and ice storm cannot be predicted any better than the score of the super bowl. However today's power outages are hitting people in the OKC area without notice. With social media and a monopoly cable provider that can reach the majority of households the lack of notification by providers would make you think that we still are in the age of the telegraph. So easily could they say this area bordered on these streets will be going out at this time. If we need to conserve that is all well and good so let's work together. Everyone bundle up!

[turbinetree]

36. Well I can sympathize for / with you, lived in states where it went down

to -35 below without the windchill and then when that kicked in it went down to -55 below, and then to top it all off during that blizzard conditions, and then had a snow drift up to the back of the second story roof.........Ellsworth Air Force Base..............

Make sure that you have one of your faucets running a little water to keep the pipes from freezing, I does not have to be to hard, just a trickle

[Blue_playwright]

38. Can I ask where you are (generally) located?

We have a cabin on the Elk River arm of Grand Lake and I’m worried about our place. Thank goodness we winterized well and turned the water off.

[redstatebluegirl]

42. Central Oklahoma.

[Blue_playwright]

63. Thanks

I hope you’re doing well. Heard that our neighborhood pump/well froze but our water is turned off at the curb so we think we will avoid disaster.

[redstatebluegirl]

64. One of our neighbors came over last night wanting my husband to help him, his pipes froze

and he didn't know how to shut off the water. My husband found it, most of these houses were build in a similar fashion so it was easy. Our power has been on and off, they say the rolling outages are over, but they said that yesterday and it went off again after that. Everyone is conserving right now to try and keep it going.

[Lonestarblue]

39. I hope your power outage is short.

Much of Texas either has no power or rolling blackouts. So far, my power is on, although some in the neighborhood have lost water because of frozen pipes. Texas has its own power grid, set up years ago to thumb its nose at the federal government, and it is obviously failing, probably because there is no incentive to invest or to plan for unusual events like this freeze.

Much of this country needs massive investment to improve infrastructure like power grids and water pipes. I remember reading some time ago that New York City had some water pipes as much as 100 years old. When I lived there years ago, every winter freeze would bring broken water pipes that would then create lakes of ice on the sidewalks and streets.

[Wednesdays]

40. Our power has been out for an hour

Seems to be the average outage is about an hour, so we should be back on within a few minutes.

With subzero temps, electric furnaces are working overtime.

[RicROC]

43. Alladin Lamps

I have a small collection of Alladin Lamps which I have in case of power outage emergencies. Those 3 could keep my small place warm because each produce heat and light as bright as a 60 watt bulb. Basically, it's a white mantel is heated from underneath with a circular wick fueled by lamp oil (refined kerosene).

Being up north where the infrastructure seems to be much better than in other parts of the US, I've never been forced to use them. I do think about gifting Alladin lamps for wedding presents because they are something I know, no one else will give.
(They might not be appreciated, though, at least not during the good times.)

My advice: buy one for your family and keep it on the shelf. Learn how to use it before you need it, because there is a technique- don't let your inexperience cause your house to burn down.

[marlakay]

51. Its out in San Antonio 12 degrees

My daughter has no fireplace in house, they put on a bunch of layers of clothing and blankets. She said they were able to find a taco shop open for breakfast and warmed up in their truck driving around.

Yesterday power was off most of day, she said every time it went on she tried to heat kettle but it went off before it boiled.

I told her to buy a camp stove for the future. They own a small trailer with gas heating but keep it down on the gulf.

I told my husband thats why I insisted on getting a woodstove put in, we also have a camp stove even though we rarely camp anymore.

No matter where you live things happen to lose electricity.

[BobTheSubgenius]

52. The industry is making some people a ton of money, so....right you are.

Infrastructure is fine.

[Peacetrain]

54. Thinking about your rsbg.. hoping the power is back on

[redstatebluegirl]

55. Thanks so much it was out a little over 2 hours.

It is back on now. I am going to warn the house up getting ready for the next one.

[Peacetrain]

57. doing the happy dance for you

[Guilded Lilly]

58. Cripes! Warm up while can can and hold on.

[TheOther95Percent]

61. Buffalo Native Here

We used old, roll-up towels at the base of exterior doors to keep out the cold air. Eating and drinking (except for caffeine and alcohol) can help keep you warm too.

I haven't had to live without power since the 2002 blackout. We ended driving around with the ac on because it was August.

Good luck and I hope this is the only time you lose power this week.

[MustLoveBeagles]

62. Good luck