Two days before the Polar front ice storm, our weather stations warned us about all time record temperature lows and ice storm that could knock out our electric power for days. (The Texas electrical power grid is not reliable during temperature extremes.) I purchased ten gallons of gasoline for my portable generator for power. I purchased disposable propane bottles for my cook stove and my space heaters. I had plenty of food and water, and was ready to hunker down and stay at home. (What could possibly go wrong?)
Day one (Feb. 15): I first got sleet then snow. I lost power in evening and covered up for the night.
Day two (Feb 16): I woke to find ice covering my planted conifers damaging them. It warmed up to about 35 degrees F (turning snow to ice) then dropped down to about zero degrees at night. That was an all time low temperature for Nacogdoches and other counties here in East Texas. I ran my portable generator for four hours in morning and six hours starting around dark. I could not take the risk of walking on ice to place a propane space heater in my tropical greenhouse
Day three (Feb 17): I woke to find that my propane cook stove would no longer function. (Dang it!) Nacogdoches was shut down, and businesses did not answer their phone. I called the Nacogdoches County Sheriff and he told me about a strong travel advisory, and please stay off the roads. I ran my portable generator about the same hours as before. I used my fireplace for heat and to bake some potatoes. It dropped down to about 24 degrees F at night. I watched some TV and found out that Austin, Houston, Nacogdoches, Lufkin, and other Texas cities had no power or water. (Bummer.) My water supply was limited but still clean. There were about six million homes in Texas without power. My electric power had about 40,000 homes without power.
Day four (Feb 18): It was still cold outside. I used my portable generator about the same hours as before. In the evening I watched TV news again. There were about 40 Texans that died due to hypothermia, and some due to carbon monoxide poisoning.
Also many Texas cities had either no water or no potable water. I had fireplace taters for dinner again. It dropped down to about 20 degrees at night. Unfortunately, I used up the last of my gasoline for my portable generator that night. It dropped down to about 20 degrees F that night.
Day five (Feb 19): Daytime it reached 40 degrees F (for the first time during this emergency) so I made a drive to Nacogdoches. The snow was melting, but with slush on the roads people were driving slowly and carefully. There was no gasoline to be had. The few gasoline stations with fuel had long waiting line stretching out into the streets. Without my generator I kept my refrigerator doors closed as not to spoil my food. Fireplace and taters for that night, about 15 degrees F.
Day six (Feb 20): Another warm 40 degrees F daytime. I stayed home again. It was fireplace and taters again. It dropped to about 17 degrees F.
Day seven (Feb 21): After sunrise I was under my quilts keeping warm when I herd a beeping sound meaning my electric power returned. I was happy to find
On Feb. 23, 2021 It was sunny and warm outside, and the ground was reasonably dry. I talked to a nice neighbor with a large down oak tree. He agreed for me (and a few of my friends) to cut free firewood. I cut wood and helped him open up his back yard. Now in march I still have good oak wood to cut.
On March 16, 2021 I cut more firewood and added it to my wood stack; I will give my friends a chance to cut firewood for a few weeks. Later I will return to finish any more needed wood cutting.
Commentary: Some Texan households received high electric power bills up to $7,000 cuz they got some emergency power. I am very happy that I did not get any emergency electricity.
Editorial: None of out top State officials have shown any empathy for Texans during this disaster. About forty Texans died during this emergency.
