Preparing for Snowmageddon 2.0

Although it’s hard to believe today, when the high is supposed to hit 80°, we could be in for another Snowmageddon later this winter. Last year, Fort Worth was hit hard, and a lot of us were without power and water for weeks. A smart Tanglewood Moms member asked what she could do to prepare for another Snowmageddon, and of course, the community has some great ideas. We’ve listed them here, along with some suggestions of our own!

To Purchase

• Generator: some people went big and got a generator that can run the whole house, while others went smaller only to charge necessities like space heaters and recharge phones. There are all sorts of options, including solar, out there, so do your research!
• Power banks: our editor has a power bank for each person in the family that are kept charged and ready to go.
• Camp stove: these little propane powered gems will get you through.
• Space heaters: keep a couple in a closet and look for “milk house” heater for the garage.
• Camping lanterns and flashlights: look for solar powered ones. They save on batteries. Speaking of…
• Lots and lots of batteries.
• Tents: If you’re without power and the temperature in your house falls rapidly, get your family together in a tent in the living room. The tent will trap your body heat.
• Sleeping bags: get the ones rated for 0-degree camping.
• Shelf-stable food that doesn’t need cooking: look for canned vegetables and meats, soup mixes that just need water, granola/power bars, nut butters, crackers, dried fruits, shelf-stable milk, and cereal.
• Don’t forget pet food!
• A manual can opener: there are few things more dangerous than trying to open a can of tuna with a knife.
• An old-fashioned coffee percolator: this will save the addict when there’s no electricity to power a coffee maker or Keurig. Just set it up on the gas stove or the camping stove, and voila! Coffee and harmony in the house!
• Disposable plates, cups, utensils: enough said!
• Gloves, warm socks, scarves, snow pants, sweaters, earmuffs, but especially gloves and warm socks.
• Hand and foot warmers: Hunters and campers use these, and they’re amazing.
• Firewood: get extra, just in case.
• Matches and lighters: ‘nuff said.
• First aid kit: Make your own. The commercial ones are expensive and don’t have a whole lot of anything.
• Medications: have backups of everything. Just be sure to replace every year!
• Books: these old-fashioned Kindles (they don’t need to be charged!) will stave off boredom.
• WATER: can’t emphasize this enough. FEMA says you need a gallon of water per person per day.
• Battery-powered smoke/carbon monoxide detectors: especially necessary if using the fireplace to generate heat and gas appliances.

To Do

• Fill bathtubs with water for flushing toilets. Or get a big, wheeled trashcan that you can fill!
• When it comes to flushing, remember the old adage, “If it’s yellow, let it mellow. If it’s brown, flush it down.”
• Talk to your plumber and find out how to shut off the water and drain all pipes, water heaters (tanked or tankless), ice maker lines, and everything else in your house that might freeze. Most of the damage last year came from burst water pipes.
• Have all your utility account information somewhere accessible. This includes water, electricity, and gas customer service numbers and your account numbers.
• Close off all but a couple of rooms. Use blankets to seal the doors and windows.

There are several good websites that can tell you how to prepare for any emergency, including:

• https://www.ready.gov/kit
• https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/survival-kit-supplies.html
• https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20210318/how-build-kit-emergencies
• https://www.safewise.com/emergency-kits/

Of course, with everyone prepping for another big freeze, we will have collectively ensured that it won’t happen this winter! But it’s always good to have an emergency plan, whether for a freeze, a tornado, a fire, or other disaster.