So I saw this video on YouTube of a dude currently living in his car due to the frost issues going on in Texas. I'm sympathetic but really doe. Reaaally doe...y'all need to be prepared for this stuff.
I learned kinda the hard way when Sandy hit. Now power for a few days. Gas lines out the butt. Gas prices through the roof. At that point I realized that it was a bad idea for me to think that a few candles was going to do it. So I want to pass along some hints as to what you should and can do.
1) Clean and fill your bathtub with clean water. Yes, when the power goes out, so do the pumps that keep your water pressure. You might think that water is a "human right" but unless you're going to a stream or dug your own well, that wet stuff coming out your pipes are the result of engineering and mostly men out there laying pipes (ha ha) so that you have water. It needs electricity to run so when the power goes, so does your water. So if you are given a warning that freaky weather is going to come your way. Fill the bathtub. That's a decent amount of water that can do things like wash yourself and some utensils. Now should it drop below freezing in your bathroom, that's going to be a problem but it's something to do if temps are not going that low.
2) If you own a home you have no excuse to not have a generator. Seriously. No excuse. Get a generator.
3) You live in an apartment then a gasoline generator is not feasible. If you have a patio maybe but there is a storage issue. So in this case I suggest a battery backup. The largest you can afford. Along with this you should get the largest Solar panel you can afford. This allows you to do two things:
a) Charge the battery backup during the day.
b) Charge accessories directly.
You should keep these backups charged when there is no emergency, just in case. If you're not in the habit of doing so then as soon as news of a storm appears, plug 'em up. It would also be a good idea to buy smaller phone chargers, preferably with built in solar panels. The idea is that, during the day you charge for use during the night.
4) Portable propane heater. Yes, these can be used indoors. Make sure to buy one with a low oxygen sensor. This will allow you to keep a room above freezing temps (remember the water in the bathtub?). You'll probably want to be safe and keep a window cracked. Remember, you're not going to keep the entire place warm just the most important area: Where you are.
5) Back on the subject of batteries, you should get a hand held, hand crank emergency light or lantern. The LED ones available today are far better than the ones I purchased after Sandy (hmmm....). These will provide you light(s) when everybody else is in total darkness at night. I have had people wonder why I have light and they don't. Yup. Prepared.
6) Lastly food. Ensure is food. Ensure Plus is better food. Ensure doesn't expire or need refrigeration. Neither do canned goods. You should have at least one week of non-perishable "food" in your possession. I remember when Sandy hit how people were buying actual perishable items. Seriously. Ensures were in stock. Two 6-packs will give you enough calories to live on for a week, if that's ALL you eat.
This isn't going to help people who are currently living out of their cars but hopefully they heed this post and get prepared for next time. It could be a hurricane or tornado.