Texas Ice Storm 2021 Lessons Learned

#Texasicestorm #2021blizzard #wcknives #williamcollinsknives
Share my thoughts on how well our preps did during the February 2021 Texas Ice Storm.

[@haveaniceday1623]

May I add, get to know your neighbors. Your family and your neighbors are an excellent resource. My daughter and son in law, who never lost water or electricity, helped us and our neighbors. First day they came by and brought us a generator with so much gas we were able to share with a neighbor who ran out of gas. Second day they came by with firewood for anyone who had run out. Third day they dropped of a trailer loaned by Nationwide Trailers with 900 gallons of water for anyone in need. All of us neighbors shared resources. I had neighbors who’s pipes froze early and since I stockpile water we gave them water. When our electricity came back on but across the street did not we ran extension cords to save fish in an aquarium, I loaned out space heaters and power banks but my neighbors also gave to me they cooked and sent over meals which was amazing as our water later went out so we did not have to cook then try and wash dishes. Family and neighbors are a huge resource so get to know your neighbors.

[@carlab.1225]

My neighbors also had no water or electricity. Some were fortunate to have family somewhat close who did have utilities - so off they went (but called occasionally to check on us and to see if it was safe to return to our neighborhood.

[@beastboy121212]

Sounds kind of like depending on other people...

[@haveaniceday1623]

@@beastboy121212 it is probably just over your head.

[@zacharylewis417]

I wouldn't mind helping my neighbors. But if I offer my help I expect them to take my advice on preparing next time.

[@haveaniceday1623]

@@zacharylewis417 I agree but they don’t. But I still helped them and in turn they helped me so I am not complaining.

[@darrelvidrine7392]

Haven't use one in 50 years. I call it a "Hurricane Lamp", oil lamp. Lasted longer than battery lights. Was able to enjoy reading when to power was out, keeping to mind busy.

[@baneverything5580]

Get several of the little power banks...MtBatt has a great one on Amazon for 10...a couple or three of the inexpensive folding solar panels with USB outputs, and a couple of warm white LED bulbs with USB cords. In Summer power outages you can run small USB fans with this setup and you can even run them directly from the panels.

[@timothyt1312]

My mom loved oil lamps

[@kimmer6]

I collected kerosene lanterns for years (before the crazy prices came around). One made in 1934 belonged to my grandfather. There are over 100 in my collection including some rare ones. I have some oil lamps as well and a few Aladdin mantle lamps. I take a few kerosene lanterns on camping trips for the nostalgia effect.

[@georgerector9252]

Howdy from Big Sam South. Family and friends now know I’m not crazy. I’m by no means a hardcore, long term ‘prepper’ but keeping extra supplies on hand paid off. Now to restock for Spring floods and Summer/FALL Hurricanes. This vid took the words right out of my mouth.

[@carlab.1225]

Amen from this native South Texan! 👍🇺🇸

[@CaspianHorde]

Great information! My family and I live in the Lewisville TX area. We were one of those that was without power for 5 days and water for 7 days. We do not have a wood stove, but was able to use our NG fireplace. We ended up turning our living room into a tent with tarps and waiting out the storm with heat from the fireplace. The lowest temp we had was -3. We had prepared with 15 gallons of water and used melted snow to flush toilets. It was a learning experience for sure.

[@Skinnymoose]

Just moved to Montana but l lived in Alaska for the past 30 years. Both places get cold and you gotta be prepared. It was 37 below without wind chill last week. In the south you have hurricanes, no matter where you are you need to be as self reliant as possible and have a plan.

[@lastbesttool]

Seriously, as a Montanan with Alaskan relatives, these Texans seem so incredibly soft. Board games? $500 phone charger? Wow. I used to consider Texas a model of independence and preparedness. Now I think Texas is the soft underbelly of preparedness. They claim to have been caught off-guard. Well duh, thats the entire premise behind prepping and survivalism. Wow. Texas was just one giant poser pretending to be ready. Thanks for the rant time. I feel better.

[@aroucagirl1898]

No one in NY IS laughing. Everyone here saw it as an eye opener. Anything can happen anywhere. Be safe. I'm thinking about what can happen to us here.

[@flowerpower2079]

Thank you for not laughing NY. I'm 58yrs & have lived on Central Texas all my life and I have never experienced anything like this. And you're right that we should be prepared for the unexpected. I thought I was well prepared, but this event proved me wrong. But I'm glad it happened because it revealed where I was weak, and now I can work toward strenghening that area of concern. I thank God for using this experience to teach me a few things in order to be more prepared for the big one.

[@countdown2xstacy]

The 5 P’s: Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance

[@flowerpower2079]

Arouca Girl, you're right, anything can happen anywhere. I live in Texas and I made the mistake of thinking a deep freeze with snow couldn't happen here. Nothing like it has ever happened in the 59 years I've lived here. So I wasn't prepared with extra heat. But I've learned my lesson. I won't make that mistake again.

[@bctruck]

😂I live north of you up in waskom. I just did a “what I learned” video. I lost two carports and many leaks. I call myself a Prepper but I kind of dropped the ball on this storm. Many lessons learned.

[@wcknives]

We all learned a few things on this one. 😁 thanks!

[@DieselRamcharger]

You survived right? Prepping doesnt mean not taking losses. Its mother nature, you cant beat it. You can only survive it.

[@waitingonmars9244]

As soon as I heard the new of Texas I thought about you. Prayers from the cherokee national forest.

[@ViktoriousDead]

TN?

[@carlab.1225]

Many thank yous ❤️

[@fjm1061]

Each one of your talking points is critical. We survived the ice storm without any losses or major issues thanks to my preps. My daughter and granddaughter werent prepared at all and ended up escaping to my house. We had propane heat and warm food. Sad thing is for what I see around me everyone’s already forgotten about what just happened and have gone back to sticking their faces in their cellphones all day.

[@VinceDiaz]

I started my generator for the first time during the Texas Ice Storm. I have a long list of items I'm changing and preparing for the next time we have a grid down situation. I did not expect the water supply to drop off and natural gas supply to be an issue. Once the event happens it's too late to get what you need.

[@1klouisek]

Us, as well. "Tweaker" has a whole better meaning when you eternally improve your preps. Stay well.

[@VinceDiaz]

@@1klouisek thank you. I just finished putting together a basic Lights Out Kit. I'm hoping to be better prepared for the next one. Trying to decide on what to work on next. I even created a KZbin video showing everything I added to my kit. Stay well also.

[@1klouisek]

@@VinceDiaz we started small many years ago and now are 85% solar for fans, lights, charging and cooking. Woodstoves are in the greenhouse, outdoor cook house, kennels, workshop and main home. A shock to us was the threatened cutoff of natural gas---whoa, more work to do here. Those cows need fresh water and heat.

[@wassent82]

I live in Minnesota. I keep 3 weeks of food, generator fuel, heat on hand at all times. Blizzards, Ice storms and tornados all year round.

[@peggytaylor8333]

I live in the north all I heard from people was how worried we were about Texans , we know how hard it can be

[@carlab.1225]

Yep! Very challenging for folks living in warm weather states.

[@gulfcitynd]

I live on Massachusetts sorry but Texas should have planned better

[@justingibson3189]

Texas just does not get that cold how could we have been that overprepared

[@justingibson3189]

Honest question

[@justingibson3189]

But this year i am more prepared for sure

[@sherriwilson8120]

Greetings from PA. No one laughing here. Few years ago we had heavy snow then ice storm on top of it. Practiced what FEMA and the Red Cross recommended some places ended up without power and water for over 3 weeks. Needless to say we now have enough to get through a month at all times. Thanks for the remainder thought. Will be going through preps this week to start new rotation of things.

[@timothyt1312]

Hurricane Matthew destroyed the roof of our house, a tree totalled my son's trailer, no electricity for over 3 months, fixed the roof, bought a solar generator, can't never prepare enough

[@oldtimerlee8820]

Words of wisdom, my friend. Speaking from experience. We've had both hurricanes and ice storms to take out the power for 2+ weeks in this area. I live in a rural county in NC. Thus, many folks, like us, depend on well pumps and the electric grid for routine daily living. That said, I was also born on a PRE-grid farm a few miles from here. Remember well, when REA brought power lines across this county. Because of that I truly appreciate thermostats, light switches and flushing levers. At the same time, I understand how "delicate" that power line from our transformer to the weatherhead on my house can be. A single limb from a large poplar tree can put us back into my PRE-grid days. Fortunately here, the freezing rain were not as bad as forecast. Nor the flooding rains that were predicted to follow. Very thankful that the winter "wonderland" I could see from our windows was brief 2 times last week. FWIW.... Couple of months ago, I picked up 2 "Arrow H2O 2.5-Gal Slimline Beverage Dispenser, Blue" Walmart # 551210309 to add to our "storm prep" stash. Pulled them out and filled one for each bathroom. Turned out to work well for water for handwashing and tooth brushing. One needed some teflon tape where the spigot as attached. Not a big deal. Since we didn't lose power, didn't actually need them. They've been emptied and are drying before putting them back into storage for the next time. Yes, there will be a next time. When, I don't know. I do remember Hazel in 1954 and there have been plenty of "next times" since then. Back to water .... For out kitchen, a water bath canner is placed on a burner on our propane range & is filled with water for hot water needs. A 5 gal contractor style water cooler resides by the kitchen sink. In summer it's filled with ice for a cool drink of water. All sinks are filled for at least one round of hand/dishwashing as applicable. Before the storm arrives, laundry is done. In addition to filling bathtubs, some washing machines can also be filled with water to be used for flushing. Just some thoughts that may be useful on a Sunday afternoon. Thank you for sharing yours. I hope a lot of people will reflect on them before "the next time". God Bless.

[@oldtimerlee8820]

@William T It was. I was about 10 years old, at the time. Can still remember those winds howling around our house. We were huddled in a bedroom, as far as we could get from the big oak tree in our front yard. Afterwards, my father had to cut his way off our farm due to fallen trees. While the house was spared, farm buildings were damaged. It took weeks for our community to return to being somewhat normal. Don't remember now how long it took to open the schools. Do remember it was a while.

[@judiehavard4903]

We keep 1 big blue barrel filled with water outside. And also purchased 3 large 5 gal. Containers like those for home water fountains. And a pump that fits on top of those containers. Also purchased 2 garbage cans the large outside ones. Make sure they don't have any drain holes in the bottom. Don't buy the cans with wheels. These can be stored and kept clean. Fill with water before a storm. Stack them in garage or a closet if in an apartment. I keep many of my storm supplies inside o f these garbage cans to keep supplies together.

[@Oldnose63]

Preparing for the unimaginable is difficult and seldom economically defendable. But recent developments (weather, pandemic whatever) make us aware of vulnerabilities and our unexpected needs. Your battery is a great tip. In the Netherlands we seem to be convinced we never run out of electricity until it does. But it still stays difficult to prepare for the unimaginable.

[@timothywitt9031]

I was in the Air Force 30 years ago travelling from Kentucky to Sheppard AFB inWichita Falls. Was stranded for three days in a hotel before travel was safe again. It was crazy. Glad you and your family are safe and warm.

[@1klouisek]

Thank you for your service. (VN survivor). You might enjoy knowing the snowplows got stuck in a blizzard on HWY 287, from Wichita Falls to Amarillo. DOT had to call out the National Guard for help-they had problems also. Fun times.

[@downeastprimitiveskills7688]

Coastal Maine, here. We often get ice when inland gets fluffy snow. A set of tire chains are great to have on hand. I drove through your area way back in the mid1980s in the winter, massive ice storm, six inch ice ruts on the interstate. City truck with guys tossing off rock salt on the back of the truck, A set of chains for your car or truck would be a must have item, even if you only use them once every 10 years, if you have to ge out and about chains will do it even in a two wheel drive, game changer.

[@denisewilson8367]

@ Downeast Primitive Skills. I'm sure its illegal to use chains in Texas as it is in Michigan. Our roads are not made for metal chains. Getting arrested to sit in an ice cold jail cell thru a record storm is not worth it. Prep, stay home & off the bad roads and you live to enjoy the spring afterwards. Nothings that important if you can't use regular tires & stay safely on the road.

[@downeastprimitiveskills7688]

@@denisewilson8367 Could be. But if one had to move due to..... whatever, then chains would be of most importance. Regulations go down the drain in a shtf for sure check you local regs. I drove through Mississippi one time years ago, 6" of ice on the interstate. You chains would not even touch the tar. I run studs on all our vehicles in the winter and we are required to switch out to studless by April. You can hear a studded tire coming down the road.

[@ithacacomments4811]

I live in New York State. Watching Texas struggling through the storm, made me dig out my "bug out bag"....and upgrade and restock it. I am 70 and live in senior housing. I can't prepare for everything but I can prepare for some circumstances. I have been a woods tramper most of my life so my knowledge of how to survive is my best preparation.

[@stevekingsbury7190]

Prep for flooding. Every time the north has record cold and snow, the south has record spring flooding. All but a couple of rivers flow south.

[@wcknives]

Very good point.

[@beverlymichael5830]

Great message of preparedness. I have solar generator for charging phones, led lights and low wattage items. Also oil lamps that won’t run out of battery power. May not ever need but think of it as insurance. You hope you never need it. But it’s there if needed.

[@thecrone7964]

I grew up in NE PA, and moved back a few years ago. Come September, I make sure we have wood cut/split for the wood burner and Kerosene for the heater - you can buy 1 gallon bottles. We have camping lanterns that also burn oil - they offer light and generate a bit of heat. We have a small propane camp stove and little propane cylinders. People who can afford it have generators - you can even have them hardwired into your home electric. Fill bathtubs with water to flush toilets. Large buckets to collect snow. Coolers that we can pack the frozen stuff into and put it on the porch. Bottled water - gallon jugs as well as individual bottles. Food items are stacked up - food that takes little or no prep. Milk - shelf stable milk (that is what it is called if you want to look for it on line) is every-bit as real as the stuff you get from the dairy aisle and can be in the pantry for months (unopened). We have a crank radio to keep informed. We do not wait until the weatherman tells us things are coming to get ready - his just our reminder that it's about to be real and double check our situation. We all know that we are going to have at least one or two storms that will shut down the power for days or even a week or more. Anything used for camping will come in handy. Be creative. You do not have to spend thousands of dollars or be an extreme prepper. The full tank of gas is also good planning. I am sorry you all had to go through that but lessons learned the hard way tend to stick. Stay strong and be well.

[@davfinport]

I had a stockpile of Hand Warmers, and they were excellent. Would be nice if they made them in a larger size. I mean, I had them in every pocket, down my pants, everywhere. I would suggest buy a bulk box of them and store them in a sealed ammo can. I'm in Houston, power went out Monday morning 2 am and came back late Thursday. Tues night my place was 46 inside!

[@ms.anonymousinformer242]

We had an ice storm in 2013 and it got below 40 inside the house. We were huddled all together on the sofa and a mattress in front a fireplace for 1night. Shivered and fell asleep ice cold on the other nights.

[@Roman-lu1xn]

I completely understand when you said we just don't have the clothing for that, I'm in AZ and like 90% of my clothes is shorts and t-shirts.

[@ViktoriousDead]

Northern Arizona gets cold as hell

[@denisewilson8367]

A tee shirt, flannel, and a hoodie sweatshirt under a raincoat or windbreaker will do the trick. A pair of windbreaker material jogging pants over a pair of jeans are great for doing farm chores in. You just need layers & wind blockers. 2 pairs of socks inside your boots and a pair of gloves or 2 is all we use in Michigan when its really cold say negative 30 below zero with 60 m.p.h. winds. Too many clothes make you sweat which is really deadly. Just block the winds. And keep your clothes dry. If you can wear wool, its the best inner layer. I'm allergic. 4 weeks of canned foods and water per person is recommended here. wood stove and 10 - 15 cords of wood. Get foods that only need to be heated or eaten from the can. Canning your summer garden is a great idea. soups & stews and biscuits can be stretched to feed many. And stick to your ribs. Ice is dangerous, stay home! Keep a small 2000 watt generator and extra gas treated with *stabile additive. 1 gallon of water per human per day minimum. 1 gallon per dog 1 gallon per 20 chickens 2 gallons per 10 ducks 2 gallons per sheep 4 gallons per pig 6 gallons per horse or cow These are minimums for get by when there is a storm. If you have livestock you must provide. If you have back ups 1= none 2 =1 have back ups for your back ups. Flashlights solar or USB rechargeable are best. crank/USB portable radio oil lamps/candles sleeping bags rated for zero or below. water heaters for livestock tanks. Heat tapes for water pipes in crawl spaces Frost free hydrants with water pipes buried minimum of 4 ft incased in triple insulation buried in 12 inches of damp compacted sand then gravel, top soil Hydrants must have fist size stones in the bottom 3 ft, then 1 ft pea stone, landscapers fabric, gravel, top soil. It will never free if you make sure to remove the hose, even a short one must be removed. Place a black 5 gallon bucket upside down over hydrants handle so no ice & snow gets down in the handles hinge. Good luck Texans, hopefully you'll never need to live like a Northerner again for a week.

[@carlab.1225]

Exactly! Here in South Texas we rarely have need of a coat. I don’t even own one.

[@floridahuntsman7915]

I’m in the hill country. We learned a lot . Being from Florida ,we were prepared but still this was a different challenge. Running a generator around neighbors in need could present a variety of problems.your suggestion looks great. Thank you sir . God Bless Texas

[@sagawang5]

Many prayers sent your way. Lessons learned I’m certain as the world is changing💕🐾

[@kenpca]

I had to turn up the volume all the way lol but good word...yes we need to prepare and not expect the government or anyone to save us...well except God:) Im in northern california and just before the grid went down in Texas we were out of power for a couple days due to storms and realized i have some preps but need to get more in place...like power options etc. Started an indoor garden too lol...I follow DIYSOLAR and Thst channel says jackery is a good brand but he recommends building one yourself for cheaper......some folks here were out of power for 4 days or so....i hope no one died due to not having power for medical machines or meds etc. We had temps in the 40's so it wasnt even close to The freeze in texas but i rember one year we had a freeze back in the 90's that killed our lemon tree...have to check the records to see what the temps were. It can happen anywhere...we often think it wont happen to us....but anything can happen whether flooding...storms....fires...riots....police blockades...or even martial law one day. Its best to be prepared the best we can and help each other out too. :) I read all kinds of reasons texas grid went down...from climate change to political arguments on green energy to not being hooked up to national grid.....but regardless....we must prepare ourselves like the walking dead are coming lol then no matter what we have food water n supplies to make it through. Most of the time its just a few days...but even CDC recommends having at least one gallon of water per person per day for at least 3 days among other things. I read that every few decades Texas gets feezes like this..and back in the late 1890's Texas had subzero temps...so not sure its about climate change.....but more people had wood stoves etc...the past few decades society has become much more dependant upon the public grid and government...so it wasnt as much the climate that changed as it was society that has changed on my view Regardless...we must prepare for the unexpected...i would say no less than two weeks would cover most situations but katrina lasted for weeks...more than a month ...so maybe preppers are right to say prepare for months or a year or so...just in case. God Bless

[@Bearwoman11]

What happened in Texas is a wake up call for all of us!

[@kim7011491]

Exactly, it was a real eye opener for me. Got me looking into items i never though I'd need.

[@elderhiker7787]

I'll bet all the 'Preppers' are laughing loudly about know. The 10 C's are always applicable regardless of where you live. Glad to see that you weren't terribly affected by the storm. Good luck and stay prepared.

[@georgewashington4731]

Preppers don't laugh at folks that are ill prepared and suffering.

[@ApocGuy]

not many things can beat good ol firewood stove ;)

[@jonathanbosco8458]

Thank you for the honest truth regarding the Texas Ice Storm. Love Freedom. Prepping is insurance not luxury.

[@billsloan9318]

I had neighbors that were in COVID lockdown when we heard this storm was coming. Fortunately, with the exception of medicine, I had enough to share. I got carried away with Y2K, and have pretty much stayed prepared ever since.

[@STUFFWEDO]

Life is getting stranger by the day. Thanks for sharing

[@christinem4655]

For years I drove through Etoile on my way to Natchitoches and always wondered how to pronounce it. Now I know. Lots of common sense in this video. Thanks for the reminder.

[@charlesshepherd9132]

I appreciate you doing this and hope that more will. We can all learn from what you went through. My family tries to be prepared but there are always those things you don’t anticipate and the stories from others can help.

[@1banjrpkr]

Thanks for the insight William, we can't let our guard down.

[@1MasterLi]

Thanls for sharing William, and yes, the one to depend on is the man in the mirror.

[@vaughnwesterby5162]

Thanks William I hope you and your family continue to be safe through this! 👍🏻🙏

[@timbuhler2012]

Thanks for taking the time to post this vid. I am in Colorado and usually winter storms are not a huge deal. However, we have a storm coming this weekend and I have seen predictions of up to 40 inches where I live. With that much snow, power concerns are a priority as well as having food and water in case we are stuck for a week. Sometimes it takes a while for the plows to get to folks like us back in the woods. So my Goal Zero is charged, I have 11 gallons of gas, my generator is ready and today I will get the chainsaw running. Oh, and I have to fill my emergency water cans... Be prepared!

[@cindyjean3208]

Currently, we are in a winter blizzard... Nebraska... when I moved here, from the Colorado Rocky Mountains, I saw that everyone runs solely on electricity.. I asked what do you do when your electricity goes out?? They ALL looked at me baffled saying “we never lose our electricity“ Wouldn’t you know ,the electricity went out for nearly a week... I wonder if those people remembered my conversation- I was very emphatic for having a plan b... Usually it only takes that one time... and you’ll know what to do to be prepared for “the next time”. We are going through unsettled times... weather, social unrest, mental stress... May God bless us, each one, that we’ll be prepared for each incident... That all will be well... Blessed be the name of the Lord

[@tommyd3955]

I live over across the lake from you in Angelina County. We definitely learned a lot. The prep list got a few items added for sure. Thanks for the video. Glad to see y'all are doing okay.

[@haveaniceday1623]

I added several items as well including a percolator, I do not like coffee but I felt bad that my husband had to go without coffee. Being a Native Texan I learned a lot.

[@Tami1967]

If you have a portable large generator, you can have a plug installed on your furnace for the generator. I also have a Mr Heater with tanks as well as Kerosine Heater & Kerosine on hand, because you never know. I wish my gas fireplace was a wood burner, then I'd feel better. Always have a back up for your back up!

[@wcknives]

Have two large dual gas generators. Didn’t need the furnaces. Have wood heaters. Will be getting propane heaters though for the shop and my house as back up.

[@everydaypatriot1083]

Great advice, William. Thanks for sharing. Glad you and yours weathered the storm.

[@James-ke5sx]

Here in Canada same problem. Few people are prepared for serious storms. My friend asked me yesterday about emergency heaters cause I'm a serious prepper. He got a wake-up call after seeing Texas, so did people all around the world. Texas to the outside world is J.R., oil, warm sunny ranches, not snow and ice. My city has permanently closed our outdoor man-made lake that we used as a skating rink because it no longer freezes enough for safe skating. Even worse, it sits on top of a small Mountain. Climate change is really happening. I used to skate on this lake in the 50's as a child and they had the hockey ice rink machine weighing tonnes go across no problem.

[@thomaschainey3230]

Great video thanks. Good advice for anyone anyplace. Hope you & Texas over comes all the trials of this disaster and hope they can be prepared as possible and have good luck in future troubles.

[@garseetr]

We were without power and water for six days in east Texas. Got down to 34 inside, I had saved tap water in empty one gallon tea jugs. They came in handy since they were frozen to keep my fridge cool. Also was our drinking water. We melted snow or toilet water. Used a propane burner used 20 years ago to fry a turkey. We used it as a burner to cook our food. Glad we had this. Getting a generator. Never again.

[@alexandergutfeldt1144]

I come from Switzerland. We are used to and equipped for cold weather, it can get as cold as -20c or ~0F around here. I can only try to imagine how hard it must have been to cope without the needed gear, insulation, fuel, food reserves.... If we are hit by a power outage during a cold spell, heating would depend on the gas power generator to operate the central oil heater... that would last maybe 48-72h.. take care

[@countrysister700]

For comparison, we in Waco TX who were 0°-2° and below freezing 205 straight hours, have bodies, clothes and air conditioning prepared for 100+ straight summer days over 100° (some years ago) and had the national high temp one day in '19 of 114°. It's difficult to be prepped for both heat and cold. However after this, we know it's possible

[@alexandergutfeldt1144]

@@countrysister700 Chapeau, that must have been very hard and stressful! Glad to hear you persevered!

[@jeffnotti9932]

glad you made the million year comment, what we are going into is a grand solar minimum... could last for a long time and will effect the polar vortices. so make it tow cords, here where i live i lose power i lose all comm. There is a very minimal cell signal like a half a bar, and have to drive about 2 miles to get cell signal, i have acquired the back ups necessary for "grid" down situation. I am so with you on depend on your self. first, you cant help others if you are not adequately taking care of your self. surprisingly i got the same weather you did, but here i expect it. Fuel oil is going to become an issue here in my area. I am totally on board .. J

[@tcb1012]

All that he said is true, but where is my hard-earned Texan Tax dollar going to? It isn't like we liven in a blue state and put the blame on those bleeding liberals...? Because those good-for-Nothing Republicans are fully in charge in Texas doings for years NOW...! And for those corrupt Republican politicians to blame on green energy is downright foolish and deceitful...!

[@elisagutierrez3040]

Thank you for taking the time to help others with life lessons

[@BigMex777]

I have the Jackery 500 and I used it for my CPap machine, it lasted 2 days. I also have a GoalZero Yetti 1000 too

[@kimmer6]

Did you use the heat function? I have built backup power boxes for family and friends in NorCal for their CPAP units and Oxygen Concentrators. We have 3rd world outages here in NorCal in August thanks to high winds, wildfires, and high temperatures. I'm modifying Minn Kota plastic trolling motor battery boxes and install lithium iron phosphate batteries with 300 watt inverters. There is no solar capability but these can be recharged with jumper cables off a running car. My latest one has 2560 watt hours packed inside and it can go for 5 nights with the heat off before needing recharging. I'm glad you prepared ahead of time.

[@BigMex777]

@@kimmer6 yes sir, I don’t know how to turn the humidifier off on my unit

[@markfure7988]

Well said. Glad you and your family are safe.

[@PrepperDale]

Great Vid William,, Bless You and your Family and all the Folks in Texas. Im in Central Pa,, The armpit of the Nation.

[@donh4750]

We live in the North West, it can get as low as 10 degrees, but not usually. We can get 40 inches of snow but not usually. We get wind storms with gusts up to 75 mph which bring down trees. A few years ago in November it knocked power out for up to 10 days. I try to learn from each experience to better be prepared.

[@donh4750]

Water has been one of the things that is so important and storing water is problematic at best. Where we moved to has a river that runs thru town and in a worst case we could drop buckets in and the sterilize the water. Then "short wells" also known as "sand point wells" have come to my attention. And they don't need a permit! So how to install such a well good for all seasons and not freeze... Ok, I came up with an idea, drive the well and then laterally pipe it underground to my garage and pump the water in the garage. It's safe and secure from people and weather.

[@applerod3194]

Getting ready for winter and your information video made it better 😇

[@oper12m]

Thank you for sharing your story.

[@OilysHumbleHome]

We have generators but I would love a Jackery as you can just plug it in to charge during good times, or you can charge with solar. It is a bit expensive but it would not draw attention to the home should it be a long-term/folks are beyond desperate sort of scenario. As tough as it is going through these times, (especially this past year to now) these things have brought a record number of folks into the preparedness community. Each time another event happens, we learn more and we do better next time. Great video and observations. You have a new sub here! God bless!

[@gregoutdoors7]

Good stuff, so glad it’s over for you guys. I was aware of what was happening there and prayed for you all. We all must learn to prepare for unknowns like our forefathers did. I practice that myself, as much as possible. God bless you from Kentucky 👍🏻

[@olgaguer6443]

Thank you for sharing your experience!!!!

[@timbennett7211]

Great video William, I hope folks listen to you, all true

[@proudseeker4814]

Thank you for your video and thank you for seeing that climate change is forever. The earth is constantly changing. People need to keep up!

[@auntbu4841]

Thank you for explaining the challenges, I didn't realize how rare those storms were in your area.

[@stephanieallen6494]

Excellent advice!

[@RidgidRon]

I do keep things on hand for a least a few days in case of such problems. Good points made and hope it helps other think!

[@littlepils4187]

having a wood stove and a pile of wood is half the battle won. glad you fared well.

[@OzMan9989]

I live in northern New England and at the end of fall we start getting ready for this, but you never really get used to the big freeze cycles. We check the temps daily, drip the sinks when needed, try to prevent ice dams, stock up on salt, etc. But it’s hard to be a homeowner with those conditions no matter where you live.

[@aubreegittins9271]

I live in northern Utah where we have hurricane force winds up here that seem to be coming more frequently. We had a power outage that lasted two days for us last year and up to a week for others nearby. This was really helpful. Thank you!!

[@jamesjackal1819]

Glad y'all made it through OK! Going to be about 80 degrees this weekend 🤣

[@glenchadwick420]

We went through that Texas winter storm. The power in our area was out 8 1/2 days. We were lucky to have a large generator that powered my mobile home. Only thing was it used around 12 gallons of gas for 24 hours due to everything being electric.That was fine with me as long as my wife and I stayed warm and our home stayed functionable. We are both retired. The main problem was the last couple of days the roads froze to a solid sheet of ice the and we could not get out of the driveway much less down a road. The people who tried just slid into the ditches. Just trying to get to my shop I busted my butt several times. Finally I learned crawling on my hands and knees was safer for me.. I don't bounce any more lol..I was sore for a week😆. Also the gas stations who did have power the pumps could not pump out any gas claiming their pumps were frozen. Being 60 years old I learned not to take our electricity for granted anymore. So I dug out the old welder right after all the ice melted and built me a wood heater from a large air compressor tank I had. Anytime someone offered free cut up trees I loaded up my truck and now have a small storage shed full. I also installed a gas fireplace with a large propane tank that was given to me. Our pantry is stocked also. So this year I have a wood heater and propane fireplace as backup heat if needed. I even added another gas tank to my generator so the generator would make it plumb through the night without me having to get up in the dark and refuel. I would rather have all of this and never have to use it than to not have it and need it like we did last year. They even claim a lot more people died than they had claimed died.

[@wcknives]

Happy y’all made it through and yep have two cords of wood stored for this winter. 😁 y’all stay safe.

[@wendellhagg3511]

Basic Survival Skills and Tools and some Special Tools. Great Video !! H.

[@paulmezei7581]

I enjoyed this!

[@joanbrunswick813]

Very good Advice.

[@NYHalfassprepper]

Thank you for making this video. Hopefully you will inspire a few of your subs.

[@shuumai]

I starting looking into battery packs and solar panels even though I have a gasoline generator. It's also important to work out how to connect generators to your devices.

[@GravInducedSleepTrac]

We are praying for Texas. You are being attached for being a state that stands up to freedom! Stay strong & do prepare for anymore future storms. :)

[@kittentude]

Good advice.

[@18echosf]

Yep, my wife and I are two folks who moved to Central Texas last June and never expected anything like what happened. We have a brand new, custom house with spray foam insulation insulation that was worth the extra money since it really helped during the outages for heat and electric. Also, we’ve used Duraflame logs for many years and they really saved us during the storm since one log lasts about 3-4 hours. We did have some damage.........one of our Tankless Water Heaters that is attached to the outside of the house, burst its pipes and had to be replaced. And, ALL of our new pool equipment was completely destroyed and has to be replaced. I’ve got to figure a way to surround that equipment with an insulated enclosure and can easily be opened for servicing because most of the pipes at the pumps and filters are above ground. And, thanks to you, sir, I’m buying one of the 1000w lithium battery packs. And........I just Subscribed to your channel............you have a wonderful, calm nature and you just give the facts. Thanks, so much, for the wonderful video.

[@wcknives]

Welcome to Texas and my channel. I understand the Jackery is coming out with a more powerful unit so may want to contact them before purchase.

[@18echosf]

@@wcknives Thanks, William............you’ve got a very useful YT channel and I’m really glad I located it this morning. Stay well and safe, sir.

[@terri6342]

So glad that you are doing well. These days are making people think about what ifs in terms of survival. Stay safe.

[@ernestwalden3894]

Hello from West kentucky. Glad you came through ok and family. Here in Kentucky the weather is unpredictable. Seems like every year we get record breaking weather. Some for good and some not so good. I have to be prepared for anything here. I even have 2 generators just incase we have another major power outage like the ice storm We had in 2009. I'll have an extra to give to ken folk or friends if they need it. When I can I buy extra to help others in hard times. God bless.

[@ARSMITH36571]

Well done!

[@meat-hook]

Here in Denver we're about to get a few feet of snow over the weekend. The new arrivals from warmer states are freaking out. My kids are excited to make a snow fort. Now, if we got a hurricane we be screwed.

[@billybassman21]

2011 freeze, 2018 freeze and now 2021 freeze. If you compare it to the 70s and 80s there were several freezes in the 70s, a big one in 1983 and a bigger one in 1989. After that nothing major till 2011 though there was snow a few times here in the Houston area. Weather cycles happen every 20 to 30 years. Right now we are in a slow solar cycle and it should be picking up over the next few years. There will probably be more freezes in the coming years before we have milder winters. Last year was very mild so no telling if and when so you have to be prepared. We have hurricanes here too so you should prepare anyway. I highly recommend a generator that can run off gasoline and propane. If you have natural gas service convert your generator to run off of it too. I powered my whole house with mine for 2 days.

[@chrisvalery3678]

I found two perfectly good kerosene heaters 10k, 24k btu at the local landfill..needed cleaning..very efficient and warm. Have a couple old oil lamps too..we were expecting an ice storm a week after yours..thankfully it didn't happen but was ready. You now will be ready for the next time because as you said it's too late to prepare when the storm is coming. All the best

[@unitedstatesdale]

Keep a note on any elderly folks in your area. If something bad happens, Check on them.. I stopped by and checked in on a couple and they were out of water and food.

[@vickymcnabb5150]

Rich Mountains-Thank U 4 what U did 4 them folkz.As a Lady in her 60's taking care of my Mom 85 years young -it is good 2 see some folkz care about the elders. I put a wood stove in at Mom'z a couple years back and family wasn't in approval of it but we have a way of staying warm and feed if power is out. Thank U again 4 keeping an eye on the elder..

[@wcknives]

Absolutely. Very good point. Thanks for speaking up and stepping up.

[@ritarichardson3881]

If you're prepared for any type of disaster you may stay alive. I was in Oklahoma when we got slammed. Still no water in the bathroom sink. A wood stove and plenty of wood stored up high in a shed with extra water and food is a must.Water filtration straws , freeze dried foods,Horse blankets, The best sleeping bags, matches stored in zip lock bags( lots) Good batteries stored in zip lock bags (lots).manual can opener. As well as the generator you have A few of them actually. Extra fuel. You are right on!!

[@shaylajay190]

Hello neighbor...I live in east Texas around Cleveland....My biggest problem...like most people, were freezing pipes..I had my preps and a generator with gas..So I made it OK...I remember the last storm...my parents were still here which helped a lot.. Just took my wood heater, which have always had. last year to clean in and around it and can not move it back in by myself...Told my son that when he comes back down in May...he really needs to help me get it back inside. We may have more cold days in the near future because of the solar minimum. I am 76 and live a lone in the woods. I have the battery pack but did not need to use it this time. Good video...☮️❤️☮️😇🖖

[@wcknives]

Hello neighbor. I lived in Kingwood for several years. My mother just turned 77 this past weekend. Happy you made it through without much difficulty. Yes, I think this may be more common for the next few years. Possibility of another blast next week. Will see if it gets this far south.

[@blackoracle69]

glad you ok brother.. and fully agree with this video

[@lagunn327]

Thank you!

[@gasser2348]

Thanks for some learned experience from the Texas freeze.

[@kimberlyquintanilla5493]

Also having a camp stove and butane canisters to cook with is very helpful too. Solar power lights in case of electric shut down. Keep batteries on hand also. A good pair of boots, candles, lighters, canned food, freeze dried food very helpful.

[@markwhite6782]

My last SHTF electrical event was 2001 in Oklahoma. Went 7 days with no electricity and it was a piece of cake. Moved all perishables to the trunk of the car outside, have a heatelator fireplace with 2 squirrel cage fans hooked into my central heat and air with both directly wired into a small generator. House stayed about 60 degrees. I thought my sh&t didn't stink. Then we lost water from no electricity to pump the water into the towers and made our lives a living hell. Luckily have 2 ponds so I carried a lot of 5 gallon buckets of water and dumped into the bathtub for future toilet flushes. When you lose water you lose everything. I was humbled very quickly.

[@MN-cw7nh]

Hang in there Willam and family...many many prayer to all Texan🙏🏽

[@magnoliabladeandgun6046]

great video thank you! We had a rough time over here in MS as well during the storm

[@wcknives]

Many states had a rough time through that storm. Not sure why Texas got so much news.

[@makingd.o.1694]

Yep here in northeastern Oklahoma I remember the ice storm of 2007 we were without electricity for 18 days it was tough but livable wood stove and plenty of firewood a necessity and back then we had no battery packs candles and oil lamps and card games and beans on the wood stove

[@aaronsearch1189]

I am in Idaho and I remember 1989 when this happened to you all. I have a generator that is converted to propane for power outages. My house has electric, propane and wood heat. Making excuses for not being prepared is just sad. Be a good Scout. At least you had that Jackery.

[@michaelbrunner6654]

Glad to things are getting better

[@sicplano]

I live north of Dallas in the suburbs. We were without power for 36 hours. We did have a Goal Zero Yeti 1400 lithium solar inverter/battery and 400 watts of panels. So this allowed us to hobble along with power to most essentials, but it’s not enough to power your gas furnace blower fan or pool pump. I have a lot of emergency planning in place, but power was what I now know I need to improve on. Solar is great for long term (grid out and it’s not coming back anytime soon) scenarios, but as I saw in this storm it has weaknesses. I get about 25% power production on cloudy days so on day one you’re okay with the battery (charging as you’re depleting) but after that you have to hope for good sun. All this to say my tri-fuel Firman generator gets here tomorrow. It’s good if you can to have a bit of solar as well as a gas generator and even better if it can run off a NG source (piped into the house) with propane or gasoline as backups. We came very close to getting our NG turned off in this debacle. So if you had invested in a pricey standby home generator piped to your NG line you might have run into trouble. These standby’s can run on LPG or NG but they have to be installed one way or the other and you can’t switch later on the fly. So my 2 cents for energy prep is get a mid size multi fuel generator (7500 -10,000 watt dual or better yet tri fuel) and add a modest portable solar battery setup (1000 - 1500 kWh Li plus at least 200W of panel input total). As funds permit get the geny wired into your breaker panel. Most cost effective way to do this is with a power inlet box and an interlock kit in your panel. KZbin has many vids on how to safely tie into your panel so you don’t back feed. Couple more things to research for your preps: rain barrel, Berkey water filter system, sun oven, fish antibiotics (same as human). Thank you for sharing your experience.

[@kevola5739]

Hi William! From a Canadian perspective I would not laugh at 9 degrees Fahrenheit especially without the proper clothing. Maintaining a body core temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37C) is basic survival. Minus 40 seems to be accepted as a universal cold since this is where Fahrenheit and Celsius meet on the thermometer though this does not mean that above freezing temperatures will make you safe from exposure. Dress in layers and adjust them to your activity level to avoid sweating, a real killer. Have a good meal before you head outside as you will usually feel colder on an empty stomach. Grab that extra piece of bacon and call it survival training. Stay out of the wind, dry, warm, and safe.

[@berkeleyboy483]

Good advise! Especially your point on not looking for government help; rather, depending on yourself to get through a crisis. Your state’s top government officials will likely skip town for a family vacation in Cancun. Senator Ted Cruz, what were you thinking? William, you forgot to mention the most important survival tip, and that is to have a WCSK strapped to your hip. That will get you through anything!!

[@wcknives]

LOL, no doubt!

[@mencken8]

What made me keep watching this video: “Let me tell you what helped us.” Right, this is what is good, not all the phony expertise about what kind of power grid TX should have had, no pointing fingers.

[@tcb1012]

All that he said is true, but where is my hard-earned Texan Tax dollar going to? It isn't like we liven in a blue state and put the blame on those bleeding liberals...? Because those good-for-Nothing Republicans are fully in charge in Texas doings for years NOW...! And for those corrupt Republican politicians to blame on green energy is downright foolish and deceitful...!

[@suetampabayfl187]

Hi. John at Prepper Nation sent me over to your channel. Good video! Keep up the good work.

[@wcknives]

Welcome.

[@drcsep]

I’m glad you and your family are doing great. Concur, learning from experience is indeed very useful and preparedness is an unfinished journey. Personally, after Hurricane Maria hit us so much I have improved in all aspects- gear, food, water storage, communication, power are just few examples I could mention... 👍🙏🏻 and I only hope we wouldn’t experience an snow blizzard cause it’s Armageddon...😂😂😂... stay safe...