This is bad. 02-18-21 UPDATE.

[Laelth]

Good morning, DU. Once again, I am happy to report that things in Laelth’s world in the Free State of Van Zandt (East Texas) are not too bad.

The temperature is currently 25 degrees with a high of 28 expected today. Our last day above freezing was Sunday, Feb. 14. Current weather forecasts predict that our next day above freezing will be Saturday, Feb. 20 for a total of six straight days of sub-freezing temperature—a rare occurrence in these parts. Needless to say, we have no water due to the widespread freezing of underground pipes, but that’s our biggest irritant. Otherwise, we are OK.

We only got about an inch of snow yesterday. So far this week, about 11 inches have fallen here, but some of it has packed down, and some of it has sublimated. At the moment, we have a hard-packed, crunchy 5 inches on the ground. The minivan, thus, is not stuck. We can still “get out” if need be (though there’s really nowhere for us to go).

The main source of our relief is that we have only had one, momentary loss of power in the past 30 hours. We’re warm. We can microwave food and, given that we have internet access, we are much less bored. No clue whether we will lose power again. No promises have been made by ERCOT, but we have a half a tank of gas and can still use the minivan for heat if the need arises.

There are reports of massive water infrastructure damage all over the state. Our own RV park shows evidence of big, slushy patches of snow that indicate water line breaks. No clue when water will return. We have a good bit of bottled water left, however, so the lack of water is merely an inconvenience, as opposed to a source of serious concern at this time.

Many, many thanks to you all for the good vibes, well-wishes, suggestions, and offers of assistance. We will continue to update. We’re not out of the woods yet.

-Laelth


Previous “This is bad.” threads are linked below, solely for their historical value.

This is bad. https://www.democraticunderground.com/10181470783

This is bad. 02-16-21 UPDATE.
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10181470956

This is bad. 02-17-21 UPDATE.
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10181471625

[soothsayer]

1. Jeez, here's hoping the weather gods take pity

[Laelth]

6. Just so. n/t

-Laelth

[gab13by13]

2. Laelth, good vibes going out to you.

I guess you can't let your water trickle a little bit since you have no water. My dad had an addition put on his house and his water lines weren't well insulated or buried. When it got zero his pipes froze in a crawl space. Here's the deal, I hope you are already aware of this, the pipes leak when the weather warms up. Hopefully there is no water in your lines so they shouldn't leak. I would, to be safe, crack your cold water spigots just a little bit. Be aware of where your water shutoff valve is coming into your house just in case you have a leak and have to shut your water off.

Sending positive vibes that you don't have any leaks. God bless and as the Buddhists say, this too will pass.

[Laelth]

4. Thanks so much.

Last edited Thu Feb 18, 2021, 12:18 PM - Edit history (1)

I actually dried out my trailer completely before the freeze. My faucets are still cracked a bit just in case water returns unexpectedly.



-Laelth

[turbinetree]

16. Good that you have the faucets cracked open, that will prevent them from freezing

stay safe..............

[UpInArms]

3. So glad you have power

and are warm ... the rest becomes a bit more manageable

Thanks for the update

[niyad]

5. Good morning. So glad to hear that you currently have power, even if no water. Continuing

vibes for safety and protection, strength and endurance. Please keep us posted.

[gademocrat7]

7. Glad you have power.

Hope Saturday will be sunny and warmer. Take care.

[AwakeAtLast]

8. Thinking about you!

My sister is in south Austin, and somehow she never lost power. They did lose water yesterday.

So glad you are surviving! I hope things improve soon!

[FailureToCommunicate]

9. Glad to hear things may be looking brighter for you. Our reports from

our son near Dallas (The Colony) are also encouraging...now that the management has let them back into their building (flooding, frozen pipes, alarms that wouldn't shut off...)

Two more days till above freezing temps they say.

Hang in there.

[CaptainTruth]

10. Glad things are improving!

[Joinfortmill]

11. This is good news.Said another prayer. Can't hurt.

[WinstonSmith4740]

12. So sorry you're going through this.

And very happy things are getting a little more tolerable. But it sure has shut down that "Secede" movement, hasn't it? When Cruz decides to come back from Cancun. I hope enough people can get to the airport to give him the "Welcome Back" he deserves. Since the electricity is out, you folks should have a decent supply of rotten fruit and vegetables. I coach softball, so if anyone needs to learn how to throw a strike, let me know.

[Peacetrain]

13. Glad I checked in and caught this!!!!!!

thinking about you!!..

[Laelth]

33. Thanks so much. n/t

-Laelth

[VA_Jill]

14. Glad things are better for you

I still have not heard from my friend in the panhandle. Don't know if I will, it's a combination of she doesn't communicate much any more + things are probably pretty bad for her right now. Still keeping everyone in prayer.

[PCIntern]

15. Glad you're in one piece

We were worried here...

Send our best to Ted Cruz...wait...he’s in the Islands? Oh. Ok.

[people]

17. Update

So glad you have electricity and that you and your daughter are doing better. There will be so much work to do there once the freezing lets up and it sounds like it will let up soon. I know you will continue to take care. Thanks for the update.

[Mister Ed]

18. Please be sure to shut off the main water supply to your RV.

You should expect the water pipes in your RV to be frozen and cracked. When water service is restored, your cracked pipes may start gushing, and damage the RV. You'll want to shut of the main water inlet for the RV to prevent that.

[Jay25]

19. So happy for you two, hopefully the worse is over.

Thanks for the update.

[RainCaster]

20. Thanks for the updates, we have been concerned

[Laelth]

29. My pleasure, internet permitting.

It’s nice to be able to have better than an Extended 1x connection. The lack of internet for the first couple of days made our situation a lot more dire. We felt extremely isolated and vulnerable.



-Laelth

[RainCaster]

30. I understand the feeling, but you are not alone. We are all here with you.

[BobTheSubgenius]

21. We continue to be heartened by your updates!

It would seem that the most dire perils are over, but it make take a lot longer to repair all of the water leaks that are already visible, and probably more to come.

Still, as you say, some inconvenience pales drastically in the face of possible death. We'll hold good thoughts for that to happen.

I have a step-niece in Corpus Christi, and they are also without water. Temperature continues to hover around freezing.

[Laelth]

28. Thank you. The support and concern mean a lot. n/t

-Laelth

[judesedit]

22. So hope this is over soon and you keep your electric. You've surely proved your mettle

Many good vibes being sent your way

[Laelth]

27. Thanks so much! n/t

-Laelth

[judesedit]

31. You're welcome, Laelth. Let's hope this is the last of these.

Should probably prepare ahead just in case, if possible for you.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

23. Looking forward to your movie "Texas Teeters While Cheaters Prosper"

Who do you see playing you?

[Laelth]

25. Brad Pitt, of course.

I would settle for Martin Freeman.



-Laelth

[SleeplessinSoCal]

32. please submit draft pages here for the screenplay.

I'd love a peek.

[NJCher]

24. It's one thing to watch the reports on TV

It's another to read these firsthand experiences.

[Laelth]

26. My pleasure, internet permitting.

For the first couple of really scary days, the lack of internet access was very disturbing. Things are much better now.

-Laelth

[mzmolly]

34. Good to

know.

[TigressDem]

35. So glad you are ok.

Hope things continue to improve.