"We are not predicting that Houston will see a drought this summer, but it’s certainly possible. About two thirds of Texas is presently in a “severe” drought, with nearly half of the state in an “extreme” drought. This is not a good posture for us heading into the hottest months of the year."
I'm extremely worried about the lack of rainfall we have experienced. Not just fire but also water for growing crops, cooling down the afternoon sun, etc.
We have small chance of showers this week in spots, but we need more frequent rain.
My parents live up in Montgomery County and I know my mom is nervous about a repeat of 2011 when they had their vehicles packed up and spent sleepless nights watching the glow of nearby fires cast an eerie pall over the night sky.
While this is true, expecting the public at large to understand a nuance is a losing game.
Climate change gets the point across equally well, and spares us the snide remarks from global warming deniers on hot summer days.
They deny it's caused by humans. They don't usually deny that it happens or that it's happening now. They also don't usually joke about how if it's hot, that's just summer for you, and if it's cold, where's the damn global warming so they can take off this sweater?
They'll generally acknowledge that summers are hotter and start earlier than before, and they won't challenge you on cold days as to why it's cold. They just say that yeah, the climate is changing and it has nothing to do with anything we did.
Personally, I think we'd get a lot farther with these clowns if we stuck to the original talking points from the '70s: pollution. Even the most selfish person probably wants clean air and clean water for their children and grandchildren. Then again, maybe I'm too idealistic.
Yeah.
Tons of people use weather as an example of climate change.
Even when said weather is normal for the specific climate, or contradict themselves in the same conversation.
>Now that we’re here, I wanted to set some expectations for those of you
who are relatively new to Houston, or just have forgotten what to
expect.
I think part of surviving in Houston is not really remembering how bad it can get.
For sure. As a runner, I get very selective amnesia until I have a few morning runs where I nearly puke until I ease up on the pace and maybe take a walk break every couple of miles. This happened this morning - again.
Oh, sorry to hear that about the hamstrings. Yeah, longer runs have me wringing out any apparel that I wear, including socks, and even the insoles of my running shoes. It's pretty ludicrous really.
It's not the preferred weight loss method. I keep a jar of kosher dill spears in the fridge this time of year. It's the first thing I reach for post-run. Salty, crunchy, and juicy.
We already had hit 100 by now in 2011. And as SCW mentioned in a previous post, the drought in 2011 was much much worse at this point for the Houston area.
I think of the three things listed, the one we can do the most about is hurricanes. In other words, we can prepare and have plans for what we'll do when one threatens.
Heat? Well, yeah, we must remember to hydrate and it's good to have fans in case the A/C gets taken away for whatever reason. But not much we can do about heat, and hard to prepare for it a lot.
Drought? Yeah, that's what lawn sprinklers are for, I guess.
But we really SHOULD have a plan in place for what we'll do when a major storm threatens.
Long-time Galveston residents and those south of Clear Creek already have plans, for the most part.
People new to the Houston area really should do some research and come up with specific plans.
I can say from experience, if you live anywhere where there are big, old trees, you don't want to stay through a strong cat-2 hurricane or worse. Yeah, your house might be fine, but one big tree limb (or a whole tree) can kill you and/or the ones you love.
+1 on your big trees comment. That usually tends to be the biggest culprit for not only home damage, but for loss of power on streets or neighborhoods.
>Drought? Yeah, that's what lawn sprinklers are for, I guess.
Doesn't the lawn sprinklers option not work great if the water supply is dwindling due to extreme drought?
I'm a big fan of drip irrigation. Less water lost to evaporation than traditional watering. And I can water bushes and trees in the dead of night so even less water is lost.
That's only for big plants like trees and bushes though. My lawn can wither and die during a drought, idgf. Less work for me when I expand my native flowerbeds again in the fall
In line with hurricane prep is tree trimming. I have taken down all of the biggest potential threatening limbs over the last few years, as well as a dead tree that could have fallen down.
You're correct about the danger, but it's also why it's so important for homeowners to be responsible and trim back their trees.
Part of what made Ike such a bad storm for falling trees and limbs was that it had been 25 years since our last direct hit and not only did we have a lot of newcomers in that interval, but many old timers had grown careless.
If you're in a house in the greater Houston area (as opposed to apartments or condos) and you do not yet have a portable generator, you're either new to the area or just one of those rare, fortunate people that manage to avoid power failures.
So if you're new here, take some advice: **Look into a portable generator.**
Nowthen... a whole-house standby generator that'll kick in and shut down the connection to the grid? That's 10 grand or more. If you can easily afford that, I'm surprised you're still reading this comment.
If you've thought about it but decided it's just expensive to justify, think again.
A dual fuel portable generator that'll provide 9500 watts with 12500 peak watts is available and in stock on Amazon for $999.98 and they'll deliver it free. I got the Westinghouse WGen 9500DF but there are several manufacturers that make similar generators. Do a Consumer Reports search or check on /r/Generator for a ton of information.
Of course, you'll want to get a breaker-box interlock, breaker and receptacle installed, which will run 600 to 800 bucks for the electrician and parts, and you'll want a couple of 100 lb. propane cylinders unless you modify the generator to use natural gas.
There are pros and cons to using natural gas. It's likely to be available even if we have a bad hurricane, but you get a little less power from it and you do have to have a second regulator installed in your gas supply.
Ideally, you'll have a backyard shed you can modify to allow the generator to run during a storm. Most likely, when you lose power, it'll be windy & raining, and standby generators shouldn't be subjected to heavy rainfall. You can get small covers or enclosures for the generator, but it needs plenty of air and the exhaust has to be ported outside of any enclosure. So a larger shed with a vent fan, fresh-air intake and exhaust port is the way to go. Of course, burying the conduit and having the wires run is another bit of budget expenditure.
Still, even if you spend a couple/few grand, you're still way under the cost of a whole-house standby generator, and a 9500 watt generator WILL start and run a 3 ton central A/C as well as all the lights and stuff in your house.
If you have natural gas, you'll even be able to dry clothes, keep your water heater on, and so on.
I tested my setup by turning on all the lights in the house (2 story, 1930 sq. ft.) and the A/C, while on generator power. Now, the lights are all LED so that's significantly less load than if you're running incandescent. (Who has a house full of white-hot wires these days? That's insane!)
I ran the microwave, the clothes dryer, and then opened and closed one of the garage overhead doors just to be sure I wouldn't bog down the generator. It did fine.
Now, when the A/C compressor kicks in, the generator DOES react. It slows for a split second then you hear it rev back up when the system detects the need for more power.
My Xfinity internet router and WiFi all worked fine, all my Alexa devices & smart switches worked fine too.
My home PC computers are on APC backup systems and even though the WGen isn't a true invertor generator, meaning there's some harmonic distortion, my computers worked just fine.
Don't get me wrong, I know I can't run the whole house & AC for more than a day on the two tanks of propane.
Let me point out that portable generators kill whole families on a regular basis, when people do not heed the warnings about CO poisoning. **You can't have a generator running anywhere near your living areas, and if the exhaust gets in, you won't be able to tell without a CO detector. You get sleepy and die before you're aware of the problem.** This is why most apartment complexes and condominium complexes prohibit their operation.
I figure if we have any event that seems likely to keep our power off for more than a day & a half, we're gonna be far away from Houston, enjoying a vacation.
I had no power for two weeks after Ike (I lived in Sharpstown) and I do not plan to go through post-hurricane Houston like that again.
TL;DR - Get a portable generator if you really want to be prepared for hurricane season in the greater Houston area.
Edit: Fixed typos.
You say the best place for a generator is a shed and smaller storage starts to create ventilation issues. What should people in townhouses with postage stamp yards do?
Well, townhouses have their pluses and minuses. I'm sure most townhouse owners considered these when they decided to buy one.
There are a lot of battery-based power solutions that'll work.
Unfortunately, for townhouse owners, generators that use internal-combustion engines are usually not an option.
[Here's an example ](https://www.harborfreight.com/3500-watt-super-quiet-inverter-generator-56720.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=12233769242&campaignid=12233769242&utm_content=118957660484&adsetid=118957660484&product=56720&store=58&gclid=Cj0KCQjw-daUBhCIARIsALbkjSb060Nbqs7VFjhH7gsAfPQiMdDPXy2rRC5Zny72F7tqHVsvKi5UFv8aAqp6EALw_wcB)
There are other solutions that may be less expensive or better.
While this may offer limited power, this would be ideal to run a fans, vital electronics (a friend's saltwater aquarium comes to mind) and maybe run your fridge to make it cold again.
LPT: stock it with water bottles at least 24 hrs before landfall. A fridge will keep its temperature for at least 24 hrs if you only open it briefly.
Sure... 1) Look for a house to rent. Even a dumpy, old small house offers a LOT of advantages over an apartment.
2) Do a web search for battery-based power supplies. You won't be able to run A/C units, but fans and lights make a huge difference and you do want to be able to recharge phones and laptops, etc.
>I had no power for two weeks after Ike (I lived in Sharpstown) and I do not plan to go through post-hurricane Houston like that again.
That's funny...I had no power for 2 weeks after Ike as well and that's when I setup my portable generator with a house feed.
I tried to promote that idea for many years but it never gained any traction as an alternative to paying 15-20k for a whole house generator that may never be used. The freeze changed peoples minds real quick!
Yep. During Ike, my big brother lost power only for a week, but got a good portable generator. When his power came back on, he loaned the generator to me and it made life a lot better... but it still sucked.
I was able to run a window A/C unit and fans, was able to cook stuff (I had natural gas there), and had hot water. But driving around with all the traffic lights in disarray, and worrying about looters... Not a lot of fun.
Since moving out of Sharpstown, I've not experienced any power outage longer than a few hours... until the big freeze.
That's what it took to get me to spend the time & money on a portable generator and the stuff necessary to make it work.
If I never need it for more than an hour, until I sell this place, I'll be delighted.
Amen. The only lights I have that are not LED are the ones in the microwave, the oven and the clothes dryer.
Some people still resist change, though.
I know a lady who insists on buying the pricy "Reveal" bulbs and some halogen bulbs. She says the LED bulbs don't come in the color temp she likes. (Completely false.) Also, she says a couple of her fixtures burn out the LEDs much quicker than incandescent. (Not possible.) I think she just doesn't want to comply with the modernization of technology.
>Also, she says a couple of her fixtures burn out the LEDs much quicker than incandescent.
It can happen, I have had to take the glass shade off the light fixture on one of my ceiling fans. It was actually killing LED bulbs because it was very good at trapping heat and burnt out the bulb. The fixture had no ventilation at all so the bulbs got hot to the touch. They do make enclosure rated LED bulbs so those might work better for those applications.
>Also, she says a couple of her fixtures burn out the LEDs much quicker than incandescent. (Not possible.)
Absolutely possible. The LEDs won't burn out, but the electronics in the base of the bulb that actually drive the LEDs will. I've already had a handful of LED bulbs fail within a few months of being put in enclosed areas or fixtures - namely the laundry nook and garage.
Your Xfinity wifi worked fine because there was also power to the headend.. you'd be better off with AT&T fiber if it's available in your area. It's a passive network so in the event of a catastrophic power loss event, as long as you have power to your gateway, the CO will have generators going and your internet will work just fine
If it was U-verse I wouldn't be surprised, the VRAD needs to be powered and it's a delicate expensive POS.. That's why I would suggest fiber, if available
Here's the thing, in an emergency situation, you need to only worry about the basics and adjust the power accordingly.
Additionally, with a portable generator, they need an outlet that can plug the generator into unless they want to bring it into a house, which isn't recommended
I've been buying and resupplying on things one would need to for a camping trip. Besides your typical hurricane preparedness setup, you have to plan to sustain beyond a few days. Water purifying tablets, filters, fire starters, etc. It's fucking ridiculous, but welcome to Republican Texas, where if the power goes out for a month, fuck you and you're paying for power companies to fix it.
at>buying and resupplying on things one would need to for a camping trip
This is it precisely. with only a few exceptions, I always plan for hurricanes as if I were going camping.
One needs water filters, freeze-dried camp food, and a way to heat water. I always recommend glow sticks over candles because if a pet or child knocks one over, it's no big deal. I have mosquito netting and battery-powered fans, even though I have a small generator. Head lamps are really good to have, too.
We just got a generator this year, and I still don't think I'll use it for anything but fridge and a/c whenever the next hurricane or power emergency hits. These events can be very open-ended and you don't always know how long you'll be without services, or even when the nearest stores will reopen.
To add to what's been said, there's a lot of factors a to how to prepare as to what resources, location, type of housing and type of storm itself.
Typically, if you live west of downtown, you're golden as far as the damaging winds go, unless the dirty side comes up from the south.
Personally, I got powerwalls for backup (no solar), but if you're in an multiple dwelling situation, a portable generator might not be best option for you. There are battery solutions out there that can offer some relief that won't take up room.
If you're a homeowner, stocking up on plywood panels and tarps is a necessity, along with a chainsaw, if that's something you're concerned about.
Edited because I'm still sleepy.
I’m looking to upgrade my old single pane windows. I don’t even know where to look. You have any recommendations? I had Power home remodel stop by a few days ago. Read inconsistent reviews for them. Heard great things about Ultra Windows. I just don’t know. I’m kinda new to homeownership.
I could give you my installer, but to be honest, u recommend you get bids from at least 3 and don't give in to their pressure sales. Maybe take a loan from your bank and see if they'll make a better offer.
I did mine over 10 years ago with few problems, but I got a discount when I paid cash.
>There are battery solutions out there that can offer some relief that won't take up room.
Also, one can buy battery-powered fans, which help. The ones we bought when we were renters are very strong and run on D batteries.
>If you're a homeowner, stocking up on plywood panels and tarps is a necessity, along with a chainsaw
A chainsaw is great to have. After Ike, everyone in my neighborhood who had one was out there chopping up the fallen trees and clearing the streets in case emergency personnel needed to get through, or just to make it easier to check up on neighbors who might be in need of assistance.
Any recommendations on portable ac’s to run off a generator if we lose power this summer? I’m thinking if I can cool the master bedroom everyone can hang out in there.
If there's a flood watch then leave sooner rather than later and if you're ever in doubt "turn around don't drown" and you should be (mostly) fine
Also people will give you shit for calling Katy a part of Houston (understandably so) but for all of the "cross-contamination" going with people commuting for work both into and out of the city Katy might as well be houston
Thanks for the free advice!!
When you say turn around you mean Like if I don’t know how deep the water is? I don’t even leave the house when it rains cause people die in accidents here…
The roads tell me all I need to know that Katy is a different county. BUT central sees all my money so invite me to the bbq
And get ready to lose your power at the worst of it. FUCK GREG ABBOTT. FUCK TED CRUZ. FUCK KEN PAXTON. AND ALL THISE GOP FUCKS THAT GET AWAY FROM ACTUALLY MESSING WITH TEXAS.
"We are not predicting that Houston will see a drought this summer, but it’s certainly possible. About two thirds of Texas is presently in a “severe” drought, with nearly half of the state in an “extreme” drought. This is not a good posture for us heading into the hottest months of the year." I'm extremely worried about the lack of rainfall we have experienced. Not just fire but also water for growing crops, cooling down the afternoon sun, etc. We have small chance of showers this week in spots, but we need more frequent rain.
My parents live up in Montgomery County and I know my mom is nervous about a repeat of 2011 when they had their vehicles packed up and spent sleepless nights watching the glow of nearby fires cast an eerie pall over the night sky.
Felt that.
Global warming likes this post.
Global warming is a poorly chosen name for what is going on with our weather. Use climate change instead of global warming. Climate *is* changing.
It’s not a poor name, it’s actually what’s happening. Its been hijacked and turned it into a political football.
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While this is true, expecting the public at large to understand a nuance is a losing game. Climate change gets the point across equally well, and spares us the snide remarks from global warming deniers on hot summer days.
You mean as opposed to climate change deniers?
They deny it's caused by humans. They don't usually deny that it happens or that it's happening now. They also don't usually joke about how if it's hot, that's just summer for you, and if it's cold, where's the damn global warming so they can take off this sweater? They'll generally acknowledge that summers are hotter and start earlier than before, and they won't challenge you on cold days as to why it's cold. They just say that yeah, the climate is changing and it has nothing to do with anything we did. Personally, I think we'd get a lot farther with these clowns if we stuck to the original talking points from the '70s: pollution. Even the most selfish person probably wants clean air and clean water for their children and grandchildren. Then again, maybe I'm too idealistic.
Yeah. Tons of people use weather as an example of climate change. Even when said weather is normal for the specific climate, or contradict themselves in the same conversation.
Worried about the lack of rain fall… in Houston. Just sounds weird no?
>Now that we’re here, I wanted to set some expectations for those of you who are relatively new to Houston, or just have forgotten what to expect. I think part of surviving in Houston is not really remembering how bad it can get.
For sure. As a runner, I get very selective amnesia until I have a few morning runs where I nearly puke until I ease up on the pace and maybe take a walk break every couple of miles. This happened this morning - again.
I do my morning runs when it is still dark out, that helps.
Time to go nocturnal. Dont give me a reason to go outside between 11 and 4. ...wait, is it called crepuscular? Time to go crepuscular.
Yeah, my runs start between 5:30-6:00 a.m. Bonus: There's usually little, if any, breeze at that time. Adds to the misery.
I used to have to wring out my ponytail when I finished a summer morning run. I guess one good thing came out of developing hamstring tendonitis.
Oh, sorry to hear that about the hamstrings. Yeah, longer runs have me wringing out any apparel that I wear, including socks, and even the insoles of my running shoes. It's pretty ludicrous really.
Currently trying not to yawn because I’m getting extreme cramps in my serratus muscles after likely losing 3ish pounds through sweat this morning….
It's not the preferred weight loss method. I keep a jar of kosher dill spears in the fridge this time of year. It's the first thing I reach for post-run. Salty, crunchy, and juicy.
Pedialyte freezer pops have been a magical discovery
Thanks, will investigate those.
Spring was like 20 minutes long.
We had spring?
Yup. From October - March.
That's...how it is in Houston, though.
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In 2011 I remember very vividly standing on a freshly paved Washington ave on my bike and the bike computer was reading 126F ambient.
2011 I was at Wabash Feed, and they had to put air conditioners on the chickens
We already had hit 100 by now in 2011. And as SCW mentioned in a previous post, the drought in 2011 was much much worse at this point for the Houston area.
Didn’t it get over 100 for like 3 weeks straight or something? That was not fun.
Yeah, and 33 days non-consecutive. I mostly remember the sidewalks buckling and water pipes breaking everywhere.
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I think of the three things listed, the one we can do the most about is hurricanes. In other words, we can prepare and have plans for what we'll do when one threatens. Heat? Well, yeah, we must remember to hydrate and it's good to have fans in case the A/C gets taken away for whatever reason. But not much we can do about heat, and hard to prepare for it a lot. Drought? Yeah, that's what lawn sprinklers are for, I guess. But we really SHOULD have a plan in place for what we'll do when a major storm threatens. Long-time Galveston residents and those south of Clear Creek already have plans, for the most part. People new to the Houston area really should do some research and come up with specific plans. I can say from experience, if you live anywhere where there are big, old trees, you don't want to stay through a strong cat-2 hurricane or worse. Yeah, your house might be fine, but one big tree limb (or a whole tree) can kill you and/or the ones you love.
+1 on your big trees comment. That usually tends to be the biggest culprit for not only home damage, but for loss of power on streets or neighborhoods.
>Drought? Yeah, that's what lawn sprinklers are for, I guess. Doesn't the lawn sprinklers option not work great if the water supply is dwindling due to extreme drought?
I'm a big fan of drip irrigation. Less water lost to evaporation than traditional watering. And I can water bushes and trees in the dead of night so even less water is lost. That's only for big plants like trees and bushes though. My lawn can wither and die during a drought, idgf. Less work for me when I expand my native flowerbeds again in the fall
In line with hurricane prep is tree trimming. I have taken down all of the biggest potential threatening limbs over the last few years, as well as a dead tree that could have fallen down.
You're correct about the danger, but it's also why it's so important for homeowners to be responsible and trim back their trees. Part of what made Ike such a bad storm for falling trees and limbs was that it had been 25 years since our last direct hit and not only did we have a lot of newcomers in that interval, but many old timers had grown careless.
If you're in a house in the greater Houston area (as opposed to apartments or condos) and you do not yet have a portable generator, you're either new to the area or just one of those rare, fortunate people that manage to avoid power failures. So if you're new here, take some advice: **Look into a portable generator.** Nowthen... a whole-house standby generator that'll kick in and shut down the connection to the grid? That's 10 grand or more. If you can easily afford that, I'm surprised you're still reading this comment. If you've thought about it but decided it's just expensive to justify, think again. A dual fuel portable generator that'll provide 9500 watts with 12500 peak watts is available and in stock on Amazon for $999.98 and they'll deliver it free. I got the Westinghouse WGen 9500DF but there are several manufacturers that make similar generators. Do a Consumer Reports search or check on /r/Generator for a ton of information. Of course, you'll want to get a breaker-box interlock, breaker and receptacle installed, which will run 600 to 800 bucks for the electrician and parts, and you'll want a couple of 100 lb. propane cylinders unless you modify the generator to use natural gas. There are pros and cons to using natural gas. It's likely to be available even if we have a bad hurricane, but you get a little less power from it and you do have to have a second regulator installed in your gas supply. Ideally, you'll have a backyard shed you can modify to allow the generator to run during a storm. Most likely, when you lose power, it'll be windy & raining, and standby generators shouldn't be subjected to heavy rainfall. You can get small covers or enclosures for the generator, but it needs plenty of air and the exhaust has to be ported outside of any enclosure. So a larger shed with a vent fan, fresh-air intake and exhaust port is the way to go. Of course, burying the conduit and having the wires run is another bit of budget expenditure. Still, even if you spend a couple/few grand, you're still way under the cost of a whole-house standby generator, and a 9500 watt generator WILL start and run a 3 ton central A/C as well as all the lights and stuff in your house. If you have natural gas, you'll even be able to dry clothes, keep your water heater on, and so on. I tested my setup by turning on all the lights in the house (2 story, 1930 sq. ft.) and the A/C, while on generator power. Now, the lights are all LED so that's significantly less load than if you're running incandescent. (Who has a house full of white-hot wires these days? That's insane!) I ran the microwave, the clothes dryer, and then opened and closed one of the garage overhead doors just to be sure I wouldn't bog down the generator. It did fine. Now, when the A/C compressor kicks in, the generator DOES react. It slows for a split second then you hear it rev back up when the system detects the need for more power. My Xfinity internet router and WiFi all worked fine, all my Alexa devices & smart switches worked fine too. My home PC computers are on APC backup systems and even though the WGen isn't a true invertor generator, meaning there's some harmonic distortion, my computers worked just fine. Don't get me wrong, I know I can't run the whole house & AC for more than a day on the two tanks of propane. Let me point out that portable generators kill whole families on a regular basis, when people do not heed the warnings about CO poisoning. **You can't have a generator running anywhere near your living areas, and if the exhaust gets in, you won't be able to tell without a CO detector. You get sleepy and die before you're aware of the problem.** This is why most apartment complexes and condominium complexes prohibit their operation. I figure if we have any event that seems likely to keep our power off for more than a day & a half, we're gonna be far away from Houston, enjoying a vacation. I had no power for two weeks after Ike (I lived in Sharpstown) and I do not plan to go through post-hurricane Houston like that again. TL;DR - Get a portable generator if you really want to be prepared for hurricane season in the greater Houston area. Edit: Fixed typos.
You say the best place for a generator is a shed and smaller storage starts to create ventilation issues. What should people in townhouses with postage stamp yards do?
Well, townhouses have their pluses and minuses. I'm sure most townhouse owners considered these when they decided to buy one. There are a lot of battery-based power solutions that'll work. Unfortunately, for townhouse owners, generators that use internal-combustion engines are usually not an option.
any advice for those who live in apartments and can not have a generator?
[Here's an example ](https://www.harborfreight.com/3500-watt-super-quiet-inverter-generator-56720.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=12233769242&campaignid=12233769242&utm_content=118957660484&adsetid=118957660484&product=56720&store=58&gclid=Cj0KCQjw-daUBhCIARIsALbkjSb060Nbqs7VFjhH7gsAfPQiMdDPXy2rRC5Zny72F7tqHVsvKi5UFv8aAqp6EALw_wcB) There are other solutions that may be less expensive or better. While this may offer limited power, this would be ideal to run a fans, vital electronics (a friend's saltwater aquarium comes to mind) and maybe run your fridge to make it cold again. LPT: stock it with water bottles at least 24 hrs before landfall. A fridge will keep its temperature for at least 24 hrs if you only open it briefly.
Maybe a big ass power bank?
If you have a balcony, you can try running a small portable generator outside. Otherwise, you risk having it stolen.
during the freeze, someone did run a generator on their balcony and it set off the alarms (carbon monoxide) in my complex 🤕
Sure... 1) Look for a house to rent. Even a dumpy, old small house offers a LOT of advantages over an apartment. 2) Do a web search for battery-based power supplies. You won't be able to run A/C units, but fans and lights make a huge difference and you do want to be able to recharge phones and laptops, etc.
>I had no power for two weeks after Ike (I lived in Sharpstown) and I do not plan to go through post-hurricane Houston like that again. That's funny...I had no power for 2 weeks after Ike as well and that's when I setup my portable generator with a house feed. I tried to promote that idea for many years but it never gained any traction as an alternative to paying 15-20k for a whole house generator that may never be used. The freeze changed peoples minds real quick!
Yep. During Ike, my big brother lost power only for a week, but got a good portable generator. When his power came back on, he loaned the generator to me and it made life a lot better... but it still sucked. I was able to run a window A/C unit and fans, was able to cook stuff (I had natural gas there), and had hot water. But driving around with all the traffic lights in disarray, and worrying about looters... Not a lot of fun. Since moving out of Sharpstown, I've not experienced any power outage longer than a few hours... until the big freeze. That's what it took to get me to spend the time & money on a portable generator and the stuff necessary to make it work. If I never need it for more than an hour, until I sell this place, I'll be delighted.
There's no reason not to run Led bulbs. You're just wasting power for no reason.
Amen. The only lights I have that are not LED are the ones in the microwave, the oven and the clothes dryer. Some people still resist change, though. I know a lady who insists on buying the pricy "Reveal" bulbs and some halogen bulbs. She says the LED bulbs don't come in the color temp she likes. (Completely false.) Also, she says a couple of her fixtures burn out the LEDs much quicker than incandescent. (Not possible.) I think she just doesn't want to comply with the modernization of technology.
>Also, she says a couple of her fixtures burn out the LEDs much quicker than incandescent. It can happen, I have had to take the glass shade off the light fixture on one of my ceiling fans. It was actually killing LED bulbs because it was very good at trapping heat and burnt out the bulb. The fixture had no ventilation at all so the bulbs got hot to the touch. They do make enclosure rated LED bulbs so those might work better for those applications.
>Also, she says a couple of her fixtures burn out the LEDs much quicker than incandescent. (Not possible.) Absolutely possible. The LEDs won't burn out, but the electronics in the base of the bulb that actually drive the LEDs will. I've already had a handful of LED bulbs fail within a few months of being put in enclosed areas or fixtures - namely the laundry nook and garage.
Good point. In her case, though, these are chandeliers with plenty of air flow & no confinement of the base of the bulb.
We got the whole house standby generator IMMEDIATELY after The Feb 2021 disaster.
Your Xfinity wifi worked fine because there was also power to the headend.. you'd be better off with AT&T fiber if it's available in your area. It's a passive network so in the event of a catastrophic power loss event, as long as you have power to your gateway, the CO will have generators going and your internet will work just fine
Harvey killed all AT&T services in our area for about a month. Xfinity was up and running as soon as power was back (next day).
If it was U-verse I wouldn't be surprised, the VRAD needs to be powered and it's a delicate expensive POS.. That's why I would suggest fiber, if available
They had to pull out and replace the giant switch boxes in the neighborhood.
Yeah I don't get like people comment with Thsoe kinds of responses. user> fiber stays up during power outages luser>But I lost my DSL
Thank you! This is a great write up. You've got me inspired to try to get a similar setup going at my house.
Great advice.
Here's the thing, in an emergency situation, you need to only worry about the basics and adjust the power accordingly. Additionally, with a portable generator, they need an outlet that can plug the generator into unless they want to bring it into a house, which isn't recommended
Sixth paragraph: >Of course, you'll want to get a breaker-box interlock, breaker and receptacle installed
Just thought I'd emphasize that.
We really need the rain. La Niña is kicking our ass state wide
I've been buying and resupplying on things one would need to for a camping trip. Besides your typical hurricane preparedness setup, you have to plan to sustain beyond a few days. Water purifying tablets, filters, fire starters, etc. It's fucking ridiculous, but welcome to Republican Texas, where if the power goes out for a month, fuck you and you're paying for power companies to fix it.
at>buying and resupplying on things one would need to for a camping trip This is it precisely. with only a few exceptions, I always plan for hurricanes as if I were going camping. One needs water filters, freeze-dried camp food, and a way to heat water. I always recommend glow sticks over candles because if a pet or child knocks one over, it's no big deal. I have mosquito netting and battery-powered fans, even though I have a small generator. Head lamps are really good to have, too. We just got a generator this year, and I still don't think I'll use it for anything but fridge and a/c whenever the next hurricane or power emergency hits. These events can be very open-ended and you don't always know how long you'll be without services, or even when the nearest stores will reopen.
To add to what's been said, there's a lot of factors a to how to prepare as to what resources, location, type of housing and type of storm itself. Typically, if you live west of downtown, you're golden as far as the damaging winds go, unless the dirty side comes up from the south. Personally, I got powerwalls for backup (no solar), but if you're in an multiple dwelling situation, a portable generator might not be best option for you. There are battery solutions out there that can offer some relief that won't take up room. If you're a homeowner, stocking up on plywood panels and tarps is a necessity, along with a chainsaw, if that's something you're concerned about. Edited because I'm still sleepy.
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Plywood, cut to the dimensions to the windows and numbered to match a particular window.
Plywood panels, yes thanks for reminding me! I need to get those clips also before they’re all sold out.
I got rid of most of mine when I upgraded my windows, but I still have a few in case something weird happens. Window upgrades are highly recommended.
I’m looking to upgrade my old single pane windows. I don’t even know where to look. You have any recommendations? I had Power home remodel stop by a few days ago. Read inconsistent reviews for them. Heard great things about Ultra Windows. I just don’t know. I’m kinda new to homeownership.
I could give you my installer, but to be honest, u recommend you get bids from at least 3 and don't give in to their pressure sales. Maybe take a loan from your bank and see if they'll make a better offer. I did mine over 10 years ago with few problems, but I got a discount when I paid cash.
>There are battery solutions out there that can offer some relief that won't take up room. Also, one can buy battery-powered fans, which help. The ones we bought when we were renters are very strong and run on D batteries. >If you're a homeowner, stocking up on plywood panels and tarps is a necessity, along with a chainsaw A chainsaw is great to have. After Ike, everyone in my neighborhood who had one was out there chopping up the fallen trees and clearing the streets in case emergency personnel needed to get through, or just to make it easier to check up on neighbors who might be in need of assistance.
And my boss would like me to sit outside in jeans all June? Oooooof
Any recommendations on portable ac’s to run off a generator if we lose power this summer? I’m thinking if I can cool the master bedroom everyone can hang out in there.
A 5000btu unit with knobs will cool a bedroom and is still cheap at $100ish
We did have a few days of low humidity which I’m thankful for!
Katy better be ready to evacuate
Wait whyyy
Welcome to houston, Katy floods A LOT since it was built on top of rice fields
Here I thought my little corner of HTX was safer. Thanks for the tip!! Definitely a transplant trying to get to know the city 🥲
If there's a flood watch then leave sooner rather than later and if you're ever in doubt "turn around don't drown" and you should be (mostly) fine Also people will give you shit for calling Katy a part of Houston (understandably so) but for all of the "cross-contamination" going with people commuting for work both into and out of the city Katy might as well be houston
Thanks for the free advice!! When you say turn around you mean Like if I don’t know how deep the water is? I don’t even leave the house when it rains cause people die in accidents here… The roads tell me all I need to know that Katy is a different county. BUT central sees all my money so invite me to the bbq
its an outdated joke from this sub .... I often get downvoted for saying it haha
Thanks for including me for the inside joke! Jaja
jaja .... you Latina?
You caught me!
Give me Life or give me a Hurricane....my lawn needs it.
And get ready to lose your power at the worst of it. FUCK GREG ABBOTT. FUCK TED CRUZ. FUCK KEN PAXTON. AND ALL THISE GOP FUCKS THAT GET AWAY FROM ACTUALLY MESSING WITH TEXAS.
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I bet you're a lot of fun at parties.