Reporting from Texas in North Austin Comrades. Hot take: shit is bad. I expected rolling blackouts and had myself relatively stocked for a week long haul just by myself with canned goods. Dripped my pipes and all the right things.
Did not expect to go nearly 48 hours without power or a cell signal. Spent all of monday reading and sleeping. Eventually I realized I wasn't going to be able to make due covering myself in every blanket in my house when I saw a layer of frost covering my phone and I made a blind trip further south out of desperation to my mothers. Skidded on the ice twice. Fell into a ditch once...managed to get out. Saw people walking to Heb. Saw birds fallen from the sky like icecicles....
Got to my moms eventually...she was so happy I thought she was going to start crying. Have had limited cell and internet over the past few days. Seems like I have a problem with toe circulation...had to sit by the fire for a good hour but color eventually came back. Power only came in 15 minute increments....but it was warm here....and there is coffee.
Today is thursday....power and internet have been consistent since last night. Checking from the cloud and my house is still down. Not sure where I'd be if I had stayed it out.
To all my comrades in Texas: stay warm and safe. Please. We need you.
Folks, never drive over 40 in ice, and always always drive slow when approaching turns, intersections, bridges, or curves.
Start breaking like twice as early as you normally would
This is accurate....but to be clear I never went over 15 and I still slid. Its been bad out there folks.
Not victim blaming here, just PSA-posting.
Pretty wild that they haven’t been able to at least salt the roads. I know in dFw they have that capability. Not sure about further south
No I get it...just wanted to say I would not have advised going anywhere near close to 40. I hear the highways have been salted and aren't so bad....but side streets are an absolute death trap after the winter rain. I was supposed to get my son on monday from Bastrop but I still am not willing to risk it.
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There is a whole lote more road per capita and a whole lot less salt than northern states, they prob just actually dont have enough.
I know it's been said a lot, but if your car does not have ABS (even if it does) pump your breaks when you start sliding (even before). If you lock up, your tires have 0 traction and you will loose steering control. Down shift (can do this in most automatics) and pump your breaks to slow down and steer into the slide (if possible). Also y'all have summer tires, an inch of snow or slush can be just as dangerous and slippery as ice.