The Texas Winter Apocalypse

In mid-February over President's Day weekend, our state of Texas experienced one of the coldest and harshest winter storms on record. On top of that, our state's energy grid collapsed as the demand for heat and electricity skyrocketed. What followed was one of the craziest weather events we've ever been through - and with having been here through storms like Harvey and Allison, that says a LOT about how crazy the February winter storm truly became. While we weathered the storm with very mild damage, so many others in our state and in the southern US weren't so lucky. Below is a recap from the Courtright household of the Texas Winter Apocalypse.

As I was still traveling weekly for work, I began noticing the weather reports showing winter storm warnings about a week in advance. I was nervous to book my travel and be required to drive in an unfamiliar area under winter conditions, so I delayed booking my trip until I learned more about what the weather would do. As the storm approached, the forecast became increasingly dire with local meteorologists in the Houston area telling folks to plan to be indoors for several days while the temperatures dropped and stayed below freezing for an extended period of time. I recall reading the warnings that the temperatures were expected to plummet to the single digits and not reach above freezing for many more days. Yikes!

People in the US who like to make fun of Texans and our panic about below-freezing temperatures don't realize that Texas doesn't have the infrastructure to support weather of that nature. We don't own sufficient winter clothing and gear to withstand extended freezing temperatures; we don't have snowplows and other tools to support frozen roadways; and we certainly don't have insulated pipes and winter-ready homes. We can take the 100+ degree heat with 100% humidity throughout the hellish days of summer, but throw us a real winter and we are rendered helpless while we curl into the fetal position for any semblance of warmth. Apparently, the same thing applies for our Texas infrastructure as a whole: while it's no big deal to crank air conditioners at full blast for months on end, the supply of natural gas and electricity during an extended freeze ran dry and brought Texas to its knees.

The biggest concern that Jeff and I had as the storm approached on Sunday night was with our pool equipment. To prevent the water inside the equipment from freezing, you're supposed to run the pool pump 24/7 during freezing temperatures. I had a fleeting thought before going to bed on Sunday night: What if we lose electricity? With the high winds of the storm, our power began flickering on and off and continued for hours before we went to bed Sunday night. Jeff and I discussed briefly that we would have to go outside and open the drain plugs on the pool equipment if and when the electricity went out for an extended amount of time. It sounded like a farfetched idea and we were hoping we didn't have to find out if we could manage that on our own.

As it turned out, we lost power around 2am on Monday morning. We had no way of knowing - and the possibility never would've even crossed our mind - that we wouldn't get power back consistently for several more days. 

After the initial power outage in the wee hours of the morning on Monday, I was unable to sleep because I was worried about the pool equipment being damaged from the freezing water inside. After a few hours without electricity, and without any way of knowing if/when it would return, Jeff and I decided that we needed to trek outside and drain the pool equipment. Thankfully at 2am, we were able to get a good signal on our charged cell phones. We watched some YouTube videos, geared up in our winter ski clothing, and trekked outside in mid-blizzard weather conditions (not kidding!) to deal with the pool heater, filter, and pump. 

It was FREEZING and snowing so hard that our footprints were quickly covered by the new snow. I shined my iPhone flashlight on the equipment while Jeff found the drain plugs and opened the drains to let the water out. We were thankful when we saw water flow from the equipment, meaning that the water hadn't frozen inside the units yet. We had to come back inside to watch a few more videos and then head back outside one more time to cover everything back up with tarps as best as we could. It was quite the adventure in the middle of the night with not a light to be seen in the distance nor a sound heard anywhere close. It's amazing how dependent we've become on electricity and how noticeable the absence of it can be when it's gone!

After a restless night's sleep and no word on when power would be restored, we next turned our attention to possible ways to keep warm inside our house while the temps outside were in the teens. I stumbled upon another YouTube video that showed how we could remove the cover from our gas fireplace, install batteries for the electric starter, and then light the gas to generate a fire. Hallelujah, we now had some heat in our living room! That was such a huge win, especially as we continued to see reports of significant delays for the power restoration in our area. We were hearing horror stories about possible days without, which seemed unreal and frightening. Without devices or other ways to entertain ourselves that required power, we relied on games, naps, and family time to occupy ourselves.

As the day wore on with very little hope of electricity, the house became colder and we had to wear several more layers to try to stay warm. The fireplace helped but only if you stood close. While I took a long afternoon nap, Jeff used his creativity (and boredom) to try to create a solution for better heating from the fireplace. I woke up from my nap to find that he had created a "shanty" in our living room. It looked crazy and odd, but I'm not lying that it was at least 20 degrees warmer inside that shelter! It became our preferred hangout spot for the next several days as we waited for consistent power to be restored.

 

Besides not having power, even our charged cell phones were rendered mostly useless during our time "off the grid." As long as our electricity was off, nobody could get a working signal to perform basic tasks like checking the internet for news updates or loading Facebook to touch base with neighbors. The only time I was able to be online was in the wee hours of the morning when I was awake before anyone else.

Needless to say, my work trip for the week was cancelled while we hunkered down at home awaiting steady electricity and warmer temperatures. My fellow traveling colleagues were all spread across Texas and we were on a group text together sharing our struggles and stories from the ongoing crisis. I was just thankful to have been at home when the storm hit.

During our long stretches of time without power, we continued hanging out at home. Jeff would occasionally venture out on the icy streets to take a look at the nearby conditions and check in with neighbors. The kids and I enjoyed playing board games, and we even beat our favorite game Pandemic (HA!) for the very first time. We also enjoyed using our gas stove to cook meals, which was another huge blessing while we were stuck without electricity.

I think it was around the 36-hour mark when we finally had our home electricity restored. I'll never forget the excitement as we all heard the familiar beeps and sounds indicating that we had power in the home. There was a flurry of activity and frantic shouting: "Power!! Charge your phones! Turn on the heat! Check the internet!" Ha! 

But alas, the excitement was short-lived, because it was only a few hours later when the electricity went off again for another long stretch of time. That pattern continued for about 3 days (I honestly lost track of time!) until we finally began hearing that steady electricity was on the way. The temperatures were still below freezing, but the sun slowly began to emerge and folks all over Texas were assessing the damage. Jeff kept our pool in shape by breaking up the ice layer that had formed, which was one of the craziest things I've seen. We also had a busted sprinkler pipe and outside faucet leak despite all of Jeff's winterization efforts.

I had no desire to go outside in the cold weather, but our Alaskan-native neighbors were kind to take all of the neighborhood kids outside to enjoy the winter wonderland in our area. Ice skating and sledding were the most popular activities - definitely not a common sight down here in southeast Texas!

When the ice melted and the temperatures were again above freezing, it was time for the true test of our efforts with the pool equipment. It was a nervous few minutes while we waited for the water to begin flowing through the system, checking for leaks or any other abnormalities. In the end - Success! What a relief!

Looking back, it's still hard to believe that Texas experienced such an intense and prolonged winter storm. Months later, many families and homes in our area are still recovering. As we approach our beautiful months of spring followed by the dreadful summer heat and humidity, I suspect many of us won't be nearly as vocal about the awful Texas summers. I'd much rather keep our miserable summers to avoid those difficult winters. Just don't take away our power and we'll be A-OK! :)