Live in Eastern Oklahoma, Christmas Ice Storm left us without utilities. Being we have a well that meant no water. Last night after threating the world I got back on the grid. Tired, yes - Smarter, yes. I will never be in this situation again. What does one do, well we had a creek about 700 feet from the house, that helped with tolet water. Years ago took a fun course on dutch oven cooking, got out the books. Had plenty of candles. Unfortunately all our wood was green so staying warm with just a fireplace was hard. Tried a propane gas heater and felt that was too dangerous , we started feeling drug. Shared a 1000 watt generator with a friend. But could only get it everyother day to use on the freezer. So, I think I kept the freezer. Frankly I as too tired to look but should! We had just slaughtered a lamb two weeks prior to the storm. Now that it is over, we are going to find a couple of generators, put in a wood cook stove (not to mention with all the trees down on this land should have plenty of good firewood for the future). Buy one of Lehmans, huricane lanters, the candles are useless. We did have plenty of canned food and I had keep all the water from last year's worry of Y2K. I think worrying about the animals and trying to feed in such horrible conditions was the worst, next to being cold. We lost 2 baby calves during the ice storm (couldn't get to them). The sheep and chixs, beehives just missed a down tree, and my prized blueberry u-=pick made it. I guess I am okay but will be smarter in the future. Bye, for now, Debbie

-- Debbie (bwolcott@cwis.net), January 07, 2001

Answers

OK Debbie- Forgive me if I'm being thick here, and bear in mind that I live in Fl. But, I saw an article about Oklahoma the other day and a woman was qouted concerning her freezer and food loss due to lack of power and wondered this- if it's freezing outside, can't you guys move your food outside and put it in the snow? Seems I recall that's how a lot of folks stored meat during the winter prior to deep freezes. Just curious.

-- Elizabeth (ekfla@aol.com), January 07, 2001.

Wow, I thought we had it crazy when we went without power for a week, several years ago! How did your neighbors hold out--I'll bet that they weren't as well prepared as you. I'll second the idea about the candles. They basicly just keep you from stubbing your toes, but you can't really read easily by them. I want a coupla Alladin lamps-- just have to get them past Hubby.

You know what I misssed--was the radio. We don't do TV, so that was OK, but I wanted to know how the rest of the world was doing. We have several of the solar-crank type now, along with a nice battery powered short wave.

-- Leann Banta (thelionandlamb@hotmail.com), January 07, 2001.

The drugged feeling while using propane heat might have been lack of oxygen in house if it is real tight, I use propane all winter, ventless heater set up in great room. I bought a total electric house and can not use electric heating, first winter bills got to 600.00. I built a fireplace and have insert, I used it some, but during 7 day outage in mid December the propane works so great I just stopped burning wood.

-- Deborah (theant00@yahoo.com), January 07, 2001.

I had some similar experiences while we were snowed in for a bit over 2 weeks. We had electric which was a miracle but no water and no seasoned wood. We moved here recently and I bought some wood...looked like a lot. We used it up amazingly fast when cold weather hit. I thought no problem I'll just cut up dead fall. I knew it was supposed to snow but I didn't know how much or that it would solidify into ice on the ground. Couldn't get at the dead fall. Our driveway was a solid sheet of steep ice so we couldn't get wood delivered even if we could have found someone to deliver way out here. I started cutting down trees surrounding the yard so I wouldn't have to slip and slide far to get it back to the house. Green wood gives off nearly no heat! We're on a water haul cistern...have a big truck that brings us water. There are no creeks or other sources of water anywhere near here...not even a pond. We melted snow for water. Having large buckets of snow in the house on top of the wood stove used up any heat that the fire made with green wood was giving off and the snow itself made it colder in here. We had frost on the inside of the windows...it was easily 20 degrees inside. Hard way to learn to be prepared. Like you I will not be caught unprepared again. I hope the folks that read this will get some emergency equipment just in case. It sure isn't fun to learn the hard way.

-- Amanda in Mo (aseley@townsqr.com), January 07, 2001.

This is unfortunately a kind of frequent occurance in northern wisconsin. Lots of people around here routinely use their car trunks (cars that sit outside) as spare freezers in the winter!! Others of us just throw the stuff out into wooden boxes, plastic pails, and so on, bury them in a snowbank . I don't know if it will do you any good after the fact, but if you run the generator to freeze down your freezer every other day (big freezer!) and don't open the lid, you can probably save the stuff without danger. They're built to keep things cold.

I got tired of the power outages and got a generator specifically so I would have water for the livestock (altho I store some in the basement) and myself. People really razzed me about it when Y2K loomed and I asked them if they were that dumb that they didn't remember we'd had the power out for a week the year before due to an ice storm, and 5 days the year before that due to a tornado, -- well, you get the picture. You can also buy a hand-pump that fits down inside your well alongside the existing 'guts' from Lehmans, and even if you don't have gasoline for a generator, arm power still works.

Sorry you went through that! Every time I see storms like that on the weather I feel very guilty because I'm so glad it's not me going through it again.

-- Julie Froelich (firefly1@nnex.net), January 07, 2001.

I am sorry that you had to go through so much, and grateful that you came through o.k. What a wonderful learning experience!!! (now that it is over) We had a couple like that and now we can hardly tell the difference in our life when the grid goes down (unless it is in the summer-we don't have generator). I can a little more of my meat every time I butcher. Good convienience food and I don't have to worry about it.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), January 07, 2001.

Sorry you had to go through that. I bought a generator for the Y2K thing but mostly because here in Michigan we had had several ice storms in past years and were with out power many times and were with out power one summer for 4 hot days and almost lost the freezer. I got the generator and have not been with out electric yet. I tell everybody it is insurance so we won't be with out electric, has worked so far LOL. I wish we had gotten more wood up though seem to be going through alot. Propane is about $1.30 here in southwestern MI. I got my husband an aladdin lamp for our anniversery couple years ago and love it. It only takes hours to realize how much we rely on electric.

-- cynthia (cynthiahemenway@hotmail.com), January 07, 2001.

Debbie, thank you so much for sharing that experience.

Just to keep morale up, I also think that a radio is a good thing to have. We bought a BayGen windup one a couple of years ago. It's AM/FM and also shortwave. We hooked up a long shortwave antenna to use. When we have lost power recently, I have really enjoyed listening to the radio! I also have a little boombox with a tape player in it. It uses a bunch of D cell batteries, so I don't use it much, but I can play favorite music if I need a lift. Fortunately we haven't lost power this year for more than half a day. In the past we went for several days, but nothing like what you went through! And I am truly sorry about your livestock losses. It must have been so awful.

-- sheepish (WA) (rborgo@gte.net), January 07, 2001.

Good grief!!!! We were without power for a full 24 hours last week and we felt rather rustic! I'm so sorry about your livestock Debbie. Regarding your well, I think there was an article in Countryside, perhaps Summer of '99 with detailed plans for a do-it-yourself hand pump just in case you lose electricity...does anybody remember or have a copy of that one???? Seems I recall that the total money for the parts was less than $25.00.Hand-cranked radios are great..I agree it is so comforting to listen to the "outside" world in an emergency. You are so right about candles..romantic, but not practical. We have several plain kerosene lamps which we use on a regular basis (just because)..also lots of extra wicks and oil, and matches.Oh yeah, one of the best things is having a few hot water bottles. I fill mine with hot water from the woodstove and wrap them in flannel to stick them at the bottom of the bed..nice and comfy when it's time for bed! I'm glad you and your family are OK, and thanks for the reminder to be prepared. God bless.

-- Lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), January 07, 2001.

I'm in Florida and still it got COLD 25! Trying to hand pump water was too much. I bought a short length of "pipe insulation" (it's gray and can be split and placed over outside pipes). I didn't split it but tugged and pulled it over the long pump handle! Wow! What a difference it made!

-- Eve (owenall@lwol.com), January 08, 2001.

Sorry about the hard times every one had with the lost of power. In the sumer time I walk through the woods and mark the dead trees with orange marking tape,then when I need any dry wood I know exactly where to go get it.Prepration for winter is a must. Jay Central NC

-- jay vance (jay.l.vance@worldnet.att.net), January 08, 2001.

The problem with the freezer is the up and down in the temps. One night it was 8 degrees and then the next day it was 40 degrees. Keeping a generator on for a few hours a day or more hours everyother day kept the food at arouond 15 degrees. I am not too worried about the beef and lamb but do wonder about the deer and elk. It seems I read once that you wild meats needed a constant temp. In the past i canned most of my meets. It was after the Y2K scare that I became complacent in freezing and living like the electicity was never going out! I feel a little dumb because I am very rural and have had a lot of power outages but just hours at a time. If I had had a small generator hooked to the house (all the circuit breakers off, except the freezer, water pump and refrigerator and the fan to the wood burner) we would have done well in this 13 days. I wouldn't want a hugh generator for the whole house. My husband couldn't get to the old dead trees on the property because they were too far back (about a couple hundred acreas of woods but up hills and through creeks on ice, no way). Right now were clearing the trees out of the creek and cleaning up. He knows the importance of cured wood now! I think all people should have canned food on hand. I luckily like to can stews and such and believe me I used them. Everyone should have bottled water on hand also. You wouldn't believe how much water one uses! Looking back, one day, I am thankful for that creek which at times floods great areas and had wished I hadn't had one. That creek gave us tolet water and water for the animals. The non electric lamps is a must, we went to bed as soon as it was dark and never got up until it was light. One can get use to 12 hours of sleep! The entire experience was horrible but will take all I can from the experience and learn from it. I must own every self sufficient magazine and book out there but obviously hadn't learn from what I was reading for pleasure. Hope all will look at what they would due if all of a sudden off the grid. Remember all the articles last year on Y2K, well I thought the world will get it together, well the world did but we didn't think we should be prepared for every other emergency. Debbie

-- Debbie (bwolcott@cwis.net), January 08, 2001.

Debbie, I would consider it a great help if you would write up your experiences, even minute things that you did or would do differently, and submit it to Countryside for publication. We too have thought about how we would deal with certain situations but you always miss something. You had to live it for 13 days and it's real and fresh on your mind. Thanks for sharing and glad it wasn't any worse or long than it was.

During that same period and a little before we had lots of snow and bone chilling cold. I've told many people that the two things I've appreciated most during this time have been our little Ford tractor and blade for clearing the driveway and pulling our vehicles out of snow drifts and all the stock tank deicers we were using.

-- marilyn (rainbow@ktis.net), January 08, 2001.

I think I will to a list of what I needed and didn't while it is still fresh in my mind (for myself as well). One quick thing is that while we were all taught last year or so about stocking our pantry, maybe that was helpful if you were never going to see the grid again, but I found my canning to be the most helpful. Food that does not need your precious water or little cleanup, plus food with lots of carbs for comfort. We ate alot of canned apples with brown sugar. I usually save the apples for casseroles but warmed up was a help. I had canned alot of quarts of bean soup, which was a help. Powered milk is necessary but I didn't get into flour, wheat and all the stuff for the Y2K pantry - except for the oatmeal. We did have oatmeal alot. Did I mention that the big stores which is 30 some minutes away were without power so those out there without a pantry were not eating! Not having a radio was horrible, we had to start the car to hear the car radio and what was going on. They did get the city up and going in about 4 to 8 days, but they couldn't touch me, the telphone was out and the transformer blew. Debbie

-- Debbie (bwolcott@cwis.net), January 08, 2001.

Sheepish mentioned the BayGen radio. I bought one of those too and I love it. Mine has a solar panel as well, and I drag it out to the garden with me in nice weather so I can listen to Public Radio while I garden, and no batteries!!! Y2K or no, I'm glad I bought that. I do have a little weather band radio as well that uses AA's that I keep in my road kit. Does anyone else always carry a road kit with them in winter if they have to make long trips? Sleeping bag, emergency candles, some water, food, a shovel, kitty litter, that kind of thing? My Y2K Bug-Out kit got transformed into my road kit, contained in a black nylon duffel so I can easily toss it in when going on trips. When it's not needed, it goes back into the basement next to my suitcase.

-- Julie Froelich (firefly1@nnex.net), January 08, 2001.

Julie, yes, I always carry my "survival kit". It is 13 miles to town and in the cold and being a bit older I feel it is a must. We drive old vehicles and breakdowns happen.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), January 08, 2001.

Remember the age old trick of heating rocks in the fire, and using them, wrapped in a towel or such to keep feet/hands warm! Bricks are often thought of as what was used, but rocks can be much smoother, also, you can collect ones that fit your feet or hands really well.

-- Katie (ktthegardener@yahoo.com), January 09, 2001.

Just be careful if you're heating rocks, make sure that they're not porous rocks that may have little tiny pockets of moisture in them and can explode. Some people are hurt every summer by exploding "river rocks" that they use for campfire rings.

My heart goes out to you for your experience, it was 3 years ago this week that we had that big ice storm here in Ontario and on down through Quebec and the Maritimes. We live in a semi-rural area, right next to a major highway, and we were without power for 4 1/2 days. Fortunately there were warnings on the weather about the approaching storm, so I drew plenty of drinking water into any container I could find. The woodstove we had installed in the basement was certainly a blessing, gave us heat and something to cook on. We have a sump well in the basement, that provided water for bathing and the toilet. (We had a luxury most people didn't have during that time...a hot bath!) My mother grew up Austria during the depression and World War II, she had beaten into my brain to keep a pantry stocked for "emergencies". Those extra few cans of beef stew and soup made for nice hot meals. We just kept the freezer closed, and as long as our neighbours kept pumping out their sump wells, ours didn't overflow. One neighbour had taken the bilge pump out of his boat, and we loaned him the batteries we store from the summer trailer, the electric motor, and Dad's tractor, which hubby keeps charged up throughout the winter. We now have a battery operated sump pump, and a generator.

I had teased hubby a couple of summers before about one of his garage sale "finds". He had come home with a whole CARTON of those packages of emergency candles, about 30 packages of 6 candles. I thought what the heck are we going to do with all those? The light came on, literally. I put a bunch in and around the fireplace, so the livingroom was all lit up during the evenings.

Along with our 3 neighbours along this row we were all well equipped with woodstoves and fireplaces, and shared a few necessities. The one neighbour had family from town come out to stay with them, as they had no heat whatsoever. When talking with them on day 3 I found out that the ladies had run out of wine. The men had their beer and liquor, but these poor gals had no wine. I promptly went down to my basement and provided them with a bottle of white...after all, I couldn't leave a neighbour suffering in a crises like that, now, could I!

-- Chelsea (rmbehr@istar.ca), January 09, 2001.

Debbie, we live in Arkansas, and were at my parent's house 6 miles away when the storm hit on Christmas Day. Wanting to celebrate we lingered and were sure we could make it that distance home. We could not even get off their place and were stranded until late the next day. Never, ever thought it impossible to travel, especially with tractors, 4-wheel drive trucks and two farmer men who can always do 'bout anything!! Then it took an hour to get home because of all the trees in the roads! We could not get to our back timber either, and we thought we were well stocked on dead firewood, but with a fireplace and a wood stove going 24-7 it goes fast. We cut wood every day to keep up. We were without power, water and phone till New Year's and when we did have water it was froze up. I cooked on the fireplace and stove and we did alright, but it is definitely easier to go without power than the water. One thing I would recommend to have on hand is some kind of wet-wipes for hand washing etc. When your water is limited already, that helps alot for sanitation reasons. We also found that the bed with the down comfortor and pillow was slept in every night in an unheated room with complete warmth while others suffered with layers of blankets. So I am going to have one for every person from now on! We found it took almost all our waking hours to get the basics done to get through the days. By the seventh day we we wearing down and trying to improvise took alot of energy. We felt if we were set up better (even tho we thought we were in a good Y2K position already) we could make it fine. Things like pot holders built into the fireplace are a necessity!! We have a lot of good and funny memories, like Dad's stocking hat taking a new pemament position on his left foot instead of his head to keep him on his feet manuevering outside on the ice! And me wearing my black velvet Christmas Day dress day and night for too long as it turned into a pretty warm nightgown! Another tip is that when you are playing board games or trying to read at night, mirrors help to reflect alot of light! My water supply barrel for the animals was completely frozen, and our respect for the creek grew also. We were learning all over again what 2 generations ago took for granted!

-- Merna (your_wildflower@hotmail.com), January 14, 2001.

Ice storms are a frequent problem here in appalachian rural SE Ohio, so we are over-prepared, we have a PTO powered (off the diesel farm tractor) 15 KW generator that is on wheels, ready to plug right in to the double pole safty switch transfer box on the electric pole that brings the power in. Power the tractor up, let it run on slow idle, and voila, enough power for us and a samll army besides!!! We bought it at less than half price when we bought the old dairy farm here back in 1994, dairy farmers KNOW that they cannot be without power for even half a day, milk cows wait for no one!!!

We also have Aladdin lamps, every room has at least one wick type oil lamp, we have two propane log heaters, a propane stove, propane hot water heater, enough batteries to power the toys from a ToysRus, and gallons of ultrapure lamp oil, and the list goes on. This is not considered unusual around here, people still are VERY selfsufficient here, and like it that way! No one likes to have to be dependent on any one or any thing around here, it is just the mind set of the area. We fit in well, to say the least. We all live and learn, just be sure not to make the same mistakes NEXT time!

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), January 14, 2001.

Its bad when we see how much we rely on eletric power. When everyone was preparing for y2k the small town i live in here in Missouri bought a generator that would run the well pumps to fill the water tower and then they could take it to the school and hook it up so that people without heat could have a place to go, and also it is used incase a tornado came. They have gas powered pumps for the sewer system to replace the electic one incase the power is lost. I have started a collection of oil lamps just in case. And have had to use them because of ice storms or a bushy tailed rodent shorted out the transformer. Also our town sent around a paper asking if ice or y2k or what ever may happen happens how many people could we take in. They were mostly asking to help the elderly. When the SNOW that amanda was talking about here in missouri hit, some people with a lot of greed popped up. There was an elderly gent that was out of wood and ofcourse when the 13inches of snow hit he couldnt get out into the woods and no one else could, there was a fellow that has some cut and stacked for sell and the man went to see him about getting some and the fellow selling it knew that it was impossible to cut some went from $35.00 rick to $60.00. Hope everything is melted by now in Oklahoma. I also have a freind that works for the power company in Arkansas that has been working 17-19 hours perday getting the power back on. We ought to tell them how much we appreciate them instead of griping at them. dale

-- dale (dgarr@fidnet.com), January 14, 2001.

The wet wipes suggested would have helped alot, with animals, sanitation was its lowest! I had some in the sheep barn. I also kept sudsy water in the kitchen sink to dip your hands in when coming in. My daughters had the German type comforters and that help with them. My husband and I didn't so we used about 6 plus blankets and still was cold and the blankets felt heavy. We will buy a king comforter for us. We are also buying an Aliddin lamp, kerosene heater and small generator. What worries me about all that is I went 13 days. Someone mentioned 21 days. If power is out so are the gas stations. We have had several 5 - 8 hrs power outages since I lost my power for the straight 13 days. I know you and I would have gas, kerosene & propene on hand for that long but I am thinking of a wood cook stove, that would solve alot. If I could have ever gotten warm I could have solve alot of other problems going on without the ultilities. I know I need a hand pump for one thing and forget a freezer full of meat. I am not going to slaughter two animals at the same time again. If I had say 60 pds of meat in there we could have stomach losing but I had a hind quarter of beef along with a lamb. The lamb had just been putin the freezer the week before. The year before I canned almost all our beef, it was tasty and I will can as extensively in the future.

-- Debbie (bwolcott@cwis.net), January 14, 2001.