Winter Storm 2021 AAR - Spring, TX
Minimum temperature reached was 5F
Three days below freezing.
Power out for 13 hours.
Only damage was rain gutter getting torn off house by weight of ice.

Had Done Right:
1. Filled up vehicle gas tanks.
2. Had some bottles of HEET on hand to add to gas in case of water condensation.
3. Filled every thermos and insulated water bottle with boiling water to use as needed.
4. Taught daughters how to flush toilets by adding water to the bowl.
5. Covered outdoor faucets and pipes. Pool noodles worked for that.
6. Charged up ham radios.
7. Charged up backup deep cycle batteries.
8. Replaced house air filters to minimize strain of furnace.
9. Made sure living room ceiling fan is turning clockwise.
10. Trickled water to minimize risk of frozen pipes.
11. Had almost 100 gallons of water stored.
12. Used only 2 gallons of stored water.
13. Moved water bottles out of vehicles before the froze and split.
14. 60 Watt incandescent bulbs put out a LOT of heat. Put one in lamp in attic
15. Kept a flashlight in pocket at all times even when power was on.
16. Make sure each family member has a flashlight.
17. Plugged in vehicle batteries.
18. Checked generator (oil, placement, CO monitor)
19. Had 5 days worth of propane for generator (Generac LP 3250)
20. One 20# tank of propane lasted about 6 hours but we could have used a LOT less electricity.
21. Neighbor traded bbq of propane in exchange for electricity.
22. Lent neighbor walkie-talkie so we could communicate.
23. Never lost fiber-optic internet connection.
24. Had spare spark plugs, oil, and heavy-duty construction grade power cords for generator.
25. Ran gas fireplace for heat.
26. Everyone had heavy cold-weather sleeping bags.
27. Everyone had warm clothes.
28. Moved everyone into one bedroom to sleep to maximize body heat.
29. Lots of chatter by local ham radio operators.
30. Monitored the county and city emergency dispatchers using a Baofeng UV-5R radio. LOTS of trouble around us.

Had Done Wrong:
1. Let myself get really wet while getting generator set up.
2. Had forgotten the proper steps to start generator.
3. Didn’t cover plants well enough.

Next Time:
1. Buy more sheets to cover plants.
2. Check fire extinguishers. They were fine but I didn’t check them until it was too late to replace them.
3. One of my 30-watt solar panel wasn’t working. 100 Watt panel ordered and will arrive in a few days.
4. Get spare pull rope for starting generator, just in case.
5. Dig out 12vdc battery-to-MacBook power cables.
6. Get 12vdc power cable for WiFi router
7. Get 12vdc power cable for fiber optic modem.
8. Make styrofoam block for running power cord through the window
9. Couldn’t move generator to the back yard where I had planned to use it.
10. Get big chain to lock generator to porch.
11. Put eggs, cheese, bread, and other often-used stuff in a cooler rather than leaving in fridge.
12. Get slip-on, waterproof footwear.
13. Buy cherry Jell-O
14. Buy more cup-a-soup
15. Buy more packets of instant potatoes
16. Buy hose clamps and flexible hose big enough to slide over broken pipes. No pipes actually broke.
17. We always had water but in a future event if there’s no water then turn off the water heater.