Where we are, records are broken. Maybe not always and not everywhere, but in this case, it was definitely so. A second winter in Austin within a very short time and that in the form of a (quote from Celina’s chemistry teacher) “winter of the century” or a “snowpocalypse.”
We moved to Texas so that we wouldn’t have to deal with winter as much as possible, and then something like this happens. Snow in masses, glassy roads, power outages, and no water supply for days. On top of that, stores and gas stations are closed, so you have to show maximum creativity when it comes to food supplies. And if you have the courage to go by car to any (possibly open) store, then this is done without an ice scraper, but with summer tires on uncleared roads (winter service does not exist here – what for? typically, there is no winter). Here it shows all the more that the purchase of a four-wheel-drive vehicle was like an intuition (even if the seller had laughed because of the winter tires)
Without power
The first effects of the winter storm made themselves felt in our house in the form of power outages. And without electricity, nothing works here (no heating and much worse -> no coffee machine). The power grid of Texas is entirely self-sufficient and not coupled with the other states. Due to the cold snap (with up to 8°F, it was currently colder here than in Alaska), the energy consumption has increased extremely, with simultaneous failure of various power generators.
The network was on the verge of total collapse, and only the temporary and alternating shutdown of cities and urban areas could prevent the total collapse. If that had happened, we would only have been able to flee to the nearest state and relocate to a hotel. However, the loss of power also caused the water treatment plants to fail, leading to days of no water.
Several days without tap water
Since living here in the U.S., we’ve been using store-bought water exclusively for cooking because the drinking water from the pipes tastes just plain scary. But it’s still used for all sorts of things like showering, washing, watering flowers, and flushing the toilet. Now, if there’s no water for several days, it gets really tight. And we were also pretty stinky (in the truest sense of the word). Particularly bizarrely, Austin Water issued the following instruction to all concerned: “You must boil the performance water before using it! We would have liked to follow that instruction, but if there’s no water, you can’t boil it. And the official advice that the condition could last for several more days was as unencouraging as it was helpful.
As a temporary ritual, we integrated the “Walk for Water” several times a day into our daily routine to at least make it possible to use the toilet. For us, this meant grabbing buckets and water bottles and walking to the pool to free it from water. That the walk led over not cleared and not gritted ways was clear, but at least we had this option…
Without shopping
When isolated shopping stores opened temporarily for brave drivers, there were no more water bottles. They were all sold out. Strictly speaking, there was almost nothing left because the interruption of the cold chains only allowed the disposal of numerous foodstuffs.
At this event, however, one could see very well how dependent one has become in the meantime on actually basic things. Electricity and water are normally available everywhere, but woe betides if they are not! Then a whole country falls almost overnight back into the Middle Ages. And even money does not help in such a case. If there is no water to buy, then there is no water to buy. But the most unpleasant thing about such a situation is the uncertainty about the duration of the condition. Will it only last a day or a week? How long will supplies last, and when will supply chains function again?
But still, we did not miss out on the fun, and there were fascinating pictures that nature has produced.
What kind of crazy times are we in here? First, the outbreak of this Corona pandemic and then this weather chaos with its consequences. But at some point, even this situation will end, and we will appreciate the everyday things much more again!