LJ Idol Survivor: Challenge 12: Open Topic

[flipflop_diva]

I clicked open my weather app on Thursday afternoon to stare at the little snow symbol next to Sunday’s forecast. A second day of snow in just over a month!

I thought back to a month ago, to the six inches of snow that actually stuck around for 24 hours, to Ellie running down the driveway, her hands above her head, as the little soft flakes twisted and spun in the air, and then to Ellie crying when her dad tried to give her a snowball to hold.

I thought of how pretty the backyard, and Ellie’s swing set, looked all covered in white, and how our dog, Alexa, tentatively made her way across it to explore this new phenomenon.

It had been such a fun day — taking pictures and watching the neighborhood kids run all around. My sister had sent me photos of my niece and nephew sledding in a park near their house.

It was nice that it had happened on a Sunday, and even nicer that by Monday morning, the streets were clear, except for a few piles of slush on the sides. By Monday evening, everything was clear.

I had lived in Austin for almost fourteen years now, and that was the first time the snow had lasted longer than a few hours. It had also been the first time that everything was covered — the roofs, the lawns, the cars.

It was exciting that it was going to happen for a second time!

I closed my weather app with a smile and went back to work. Outside, the temperature began to plummet as the wind picked up.

At around 2 o’clock, I checked my gmail and groaned. There was a chance of rain for later that evening, and daycare was worried about ice forming on the streets. They wanted everyone to come pick up their kids before five, and they were cancelling everything for Friday. It was always so hard to have Ellie off of school; she didn’t really understand what it meant by Mommy and Daddy needing to work, but we would just have to make do.

David headed out to pick Ellie up from daycare around 4 o’clock, as requested. There was no rain yet, but it had now dropped into the 30s.

Later that night, as we slept in our warm beds, the temperature dropped even more, to the 20s, and the freezing rain started. A few miles away from us, people began to lose power. Some of them wouldn’t get it back for four days.

We woke up Saturday to ice crystals hanging off our roof. We took pictures and stayed inside where it was warm.

The temperature continued to drop. Saturday night, as we once again crawled into our warm beds, the snow arrived.

We woke up Sunday to a winter wonderland — everything was covered, including the streets. No one was getting down them anytime soon. Outside, the temperature was 8 degrees before the wind chill. Inside, even with the heater, it was cold.

The grocery store texted. The order we were supposed to have delivered was cancelled. It was possible they could deliver later in the week.

Alexa’s dog door kept flapping, letting blasts of arctic chill into the kitchen. We closed it and decided we’d just let her out every few hours.

Unlike last time, we didn’t go outside. I had clothes that would keep me warm, thanks to business trips to Chicago in previous Februarys and Boston in previous Januarys, but Ellie didn’t. Her fluffy Old Navy jacket was great for the 50s but not so much for the below-0s.

So we stayed inside and watched movies and made Play-Do creations and colored pictures and read books.

Sunday night, we got word that daycare was officially cancelled through Thursday. The temperatures weren’t projected to get above freezing until Thursday afternoon, and until that happened, the chances of being able to drive on any streets were slim.

David had Monday off, thanks to President’s Day. He hung out with Ellie while I worked. Having a company based in New York, and two deadlines to meet, meant they didn’t care that there was an exceptional weather event happening in Texas.

But also, David and I were worried. The electrical grid in Texas was having massive problems. One of the nuclear plants had gone offline and taken a bunch of other plants with it. The energy overlords, ERCOT, had ordered all electric companies to start rolling blackouts. My sister texted that their power had already gone out five times by Monday afternoon.

We never did lose power — though we did our best to conserve energy as much as we could. We turned the heat down, we shut off any lights we didn’t need, we stopped using the wash machine and the dishwasher. But on Tuesday afternoon, we lost something else.

The blackouts had messed with the water infrastructure in our city. The water tank couldn’t be treated, and it couldn’t be filled, and we were running on reserves. In a couple hours, the message on Facebook said, the city was going to turn off the water.

We got to work. David filled the bathtub in Ellie’s bathroom (the only tub we have) so we could use it to flush the toilet. I filled up three pitchers of water we could use for drinking. Our bottled water supply was down to six so that wasn’t going to last long.

An hour or so after that, we turned on the faucet and nothing came out. But we were okay, we said. After all, how long could it be out?

Five days. It could be out for five days. Five days of only being able to use one toilet and having to flush with the help of a pot. Five days of digging through the pantry to see what we could possibly make for meals that didn’t require water. Five days of trying to make the little water we had last as long as possible.

On the third day — Thursday — the temperature rose above freezing, and the snow and the ice finally began to melt. David went outside in his sneakers and gloves and scraped ice off the driveway so he could go to the store.

It was almost as bad as when COVID first hit and people went crazy. He had to wait in a line, and then he bought whatever was left. Which wasn’t much. But at least he managed to grab a few meals that just required the oven, and no water.

On Friday, the next city over from ours was passing out cases of bottled water starting at noon. David braved the still-icy roads to get there and got a case for us. We had been down to our last pitcher of water before that.

Daycare got cancelled again. It was hard to teach kids without water.

Friday evening, our city announced that water was being restored, but it would take time. On Saturday night, we checked the faucet and saw a trickle of water. We almost cried.

On Sunday morning, the water was back. Fully. I took the best shower of my life, and we finally did the dishes that had piled up. We were still under a boil water notice, but that was okay.

On Monday, Ellie got to go back to daycare. One of her friend’s moms gave us a half gallon of milk for her since we didn’t have any left, and the stores were still bare.

On Wednesday, the boil water notice was finally lifted. And David went to the store and managed to find half the things on our list.

That was two days ago. The stores are still a mess, but outside, it’s 60 degrees. There is no trace of ice or snow or freezing temperatures, apart from tree branches still in people’s yards or hanging into the streets.

I open my weather app to see what’s coming. A little rain, but 70 degree weather. I smile.

I will never again wish for a fun day of snow. That was more than enough for a lifetime.



Non-fiction. Overall, we were really lucky. I know that. So many people lost power, and their lives, during this disaster. We only lost water for a few days. It wasn't fun, but it was a lot better than it could have been, and for that, I am grateful.




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Comments

[alycewilson]

That's quite an ordeal you went through! Glad that things finally seem to be turning around.

[swirlsofpurple]

*Hugs* Thank you for sharing, so sorry you're having to go through it. I hope it all gets better soon!

[bleodswean]

Good to hear you didn't lose your electricity, but yes, a total mess!

[halfshellvenus]

8 degrees?!? That's Peoria-level weather. Even Sacramento never gets that cold in the winter. :O

No wonder no one expected the issues you ran into!

That is a long time to be without water, especially when everyone else in your area is going through the same thing and the demand is high. The store shelves tend to be bare when you need hem most.

I'm glad you still had power during that time, though. That kind of cold is very hard to cope with unless you have a woodstove or fireplace and a large supply of fuel already at hand. :(

I sure hope you never have to go anything like that ever again!

From Iowa

[ashgael]

Should this happen again
you can boil snow for water.
You can limit the area you live in, closing registers and doors to the rest of the house.
Only doing oven meals is great, helps keep things warm.
Dress in layers, lots of them. Even light clothing can keep you warm with enough layers.
Gather up all the blankets you have and keep them in your warm zone.

Our energy grid may be winterized but
Pipes can still freeze
Frozen branches will snap and take out power lines
This is good stuff to know.

I hope you never have to deal with this again but if it does you can manage better.

I have a friend from hs down there and she bought her house with features for dealing with an Iowa winter.
They did quite well during this.

[murielle]

Trying to live without water is so hard. Filing your bathtub was spot-on, the first thing they tell us to do in an emergency these days. I also keep 16L of filtered (ie, ready for drinking) water in my fridge at all times. And I'd like to keep at least that much unfiltered in my pantry, but I'm not there yet.

Like many people, I didn't pay much attention to the idea of prepping, but we're really learning how important it is these days, aren't we?

I'm so glad that you and your loved ones are safe and warm and have water again. (((Hugs)))

[adoptedwriter]

This blizzard stuff was getting pretty scary. I also likened it to the COVID shopping panic. Glad you guys are OK.

[gunwithoutmusic]

I remember having to deal with that during hurricanes here in Florida - we only ever had one time that we just had NO WATER but it was miserable! I always prep before hurricanes now, filling up the tubs and pitchers and stuff so we have some in case we need it, but we've been lucky. What an ordeal! I bet that shower felt great after all that!