Wasn't planning on a ladder Have complete 3D prints to house.

I wouldn't worry about fixed tie downs on the roof. I would however, have 1x2s or 2x2s to use as anchors around the edge of the tarp- pull the tarp tight under the wood, and go through them both, rather than just tacking the tarps down. The later doesn't work so well...

Ok...now Day 5 without power.

Seems that the amount of folks that will be effected by the work effort is the key...again, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few(me).

Last night, I sent the DW and kids to family to sleep in peace and heat. I stayed at the homefront to A) monitor temp to prevent pipes from freezing and B) protect property. Seems that some looting has begun. I am a warm sleeper so I was able to cut down on the amount of wood used in the fire...save it for the future if needed.

Food still not an issue, I have several restuarants open within a mile from my house...unbelievable. Water also not a concern at this point.

What is a concern is with the amount of folks still without power in Tulsa proper, propane, liquid fuel, chainsaws and any parts oil for them is in short supply. Generators are becoming more available and there is even a rumor that FEMA is now involved so we could get a tax deduction if I purchased one...but that would involve using credit and I have one I could borrow if needed. Will probably hook it up tonight just to provide some heat to keep the pipes from the risk of freezing.

Clean up efforts will have to wait until power is back on. This weekend I might start to clear the driveway...if power has been restored. It might sit there till summer(ha). What am I saying, DW will step in and prevent that.

Still maintaining.

Kudos and thanks to everyone who's living through this and has still made the effort to post. Be assured that we are reading the details closely. There is no substitute for "boots on the ice" experience.

A note that may be of use: if there is still water pressure (not clear if that's the case), one way to prevent freezing is to let your taps drip/run slowly. It takes an extra amount of cold to freeze moving water. And a surprising amount of 'free and green' geothermal energy comes up through the water mains.

When they start to restore power....

In my town, there were several house fires that began in the box attached to the house? Electric Company only worries about restoring juice to the electrical pole - Homeowners are responsible for the box and wiring from the pole to the house.

Sorry I'm not able to describe this better. I'm clueless when it comes to things like this (and live in a newer home where all wiring is underground and not subject to this problem) Perhaps those here with more knowledge could fill our OK friends in before something happens to them...?

"A note that may be of use: if there is still water pressure (not clear if that's the case), one way to prevent freezing is to let your taps drip/run slowly. It takes an extra amount of cold to freeze moving water."

I had to think this through... If I am without power, I am without (well) water. So I guess the flip side would be to open all the faucets, and intentionally bleed the water out of my lines, ending at the basement (lowest) watervalve...Does this sound correct?

As a follow up, this should be simple but now I don't know...
How do I determine which pipes are most prone to turn to frozen pipes? Assuming a well insulted house, I am guessing my basement holds temp above freezing longest..

Anyone have experience in this? I think I just added my handheld Fiske temperature reader to potential "emergency tool shed" status.

If you still have running water, allowing a trickle of water run from each faucet will keep your pipes from freezing/expanding, for the reasons already mentioned.

Draining the water from your pipes will keep them from bursting because there is no water to freeze/expand to split the pipes. The piping freezes and that should not split them.

Leaving the faucets open even though you can't drain the water will still allow some room for the freezing water to expand, thus keeping your pipes from splitting.

The P-trap can still freeze and break - the 'U' shaped bend under the sink. I suppose a toilet tank and trap there would freeze, also. My neighbor drains the pipes and then pours a cup of antifreeze into each sink/tub when shutting down their summer lake cabin (trailer) for the season. Probably not environmentally correct - anyone know any other solution?

Yes, drain as much "supply side" water as you can, and closely monitor the temperature in the basement. It would need to drop a degree or two below the freezing point, and stay there for a while, before pipes would burst (32-F / 0-C is the freezing/melting point, so it's mostly slush not ice at that temperature; it has to form solid ice to expand).

Ideally, it's best to use compressed air to blow out as much water as possible. That's standard practice when winterizing cabins and RVs around here. A little bit of water in a line won't burst it, even if it does freeze solid. Drain the toilet tank too.

I don't know if you have a pressure tank. There's probably a drain valve on that, and it may be the lowest point that's easy to access. If there's a pump and piping above ground, and you can't drain them, positively isolate the power (isolation switch and breaker) and cover with cardboard, old blankets, etc. You don't want a fire hazard when the power comes back on. Impeller pumps usually have priming/drain plugs, and it's probably wise to remove these.

On the "drain side:" past_digger is right: the traps under the sinks, shower, and toilet can also freeze. You probably shouldn't drain these, because they seal off the noxious gases in your septic tank from the air in your home.

The antifreeze normally used for the drains in cabins/RVs is non-toxic, unlike the glycol in your car rad. I keep a couple of jugs around just in case.

In a pinch, you could pour in a bunch of alcohol, or steal a few cupfuls of glycol from a car. Anything to keep the water from freezing into a solid, expanding mass.

It's also worth noting that salt water freezes at a few degrees lower than fresh water. It's not a lot, but everybody has salt; and depending on your situation it may buy you a small safety margin.

The power line going to the house is the electric company's responsibility (as well as the power meter itself).

However, the weather head (pole sticking out of the power meter) is the responsibility of the house owner's electrician.

Several power lines are still down in various neighbor's back yards; after the power came back, I was told (by the power company) that the back yards and/or the fences that the lines were draped on were NOT safe to be around, and that they would get to them when they could.

Evidently, it's all about numbers right now here in Oke City--restore power to the greatest number of folks first.

On the other hand, though, most of the administrators of my hospital live nearby in a ritzy historical neighborhood (me, too, but mine's not as "ritzy"). No power for six of nine of them, so far. What I can't understand is why none of them bought a generator, when they make six figures minimum.

C'est la vie.