Houston Storm Update

Hi friends!  It’s been a wild couple of days here and I so appreciate the messages and ‘stay safe’ sentiments y’all have been sending!  My internet is super spotty, but I’m feeling the love. ♥

Sure enough, we got the predicted freezing weather and snowfall, but we didn’t expect to lose power and heat and water!  Ug!  Millions of people across the Houston and surrounding areas are without, shivering in their homes.  I’ve heard they’ve set up warming shelters at the George R. Brown Convention Center, Lakewood Church, and Gallery Furniture if you know someone in the area in need.

Brian helped me wrap my pipes before the freeze, and I remember asking him, “do you think we’ll lose power?” and we really didn’t expect to.

My power has been out since 8 a.m. Monday morning and came back on briefly for about 3 hours Monday afternoon, then went out again.  During the “on” period, Brian and my girlfriend and her kids came over to warm up, since their houses were freezing.  We made the most of it with snacks, wine! and just being together and sharing the pain.

I was lucky to have water Monday, but it went out on Tuesday.  I do have a gas stove, which has been a blessing.  I made noodle soup that I’ve been reheating on the stove.  And I had espresso powder that made a decent-ish cup of coffee.  Not really, I’m so spoiled by my good morning coffee. 🙁

School’s closed through Thursday (Jordan’s birthday!) with possible remote learning on Friday.  A few stores are open, but the lines are out the door.

It feels like a mess, and not knowing when this will be fixed is the worst, but people are supporting each other.  I’m thankful to have a group of family and friends checking on each other and sharing their power/water status throughout the day.  I’m thankful to have a nice home to bundle up in even though it’s so freaking cold inside!

I was able to head to a friend’s house who had power so I could defrost, charge my phone, and chat with y’all.  We are all bundled up in layers, trying to stay positive and hope that power and water get restored soon!

In Texas, it’s being advised that, if you do have power, reduce your energy use.  You can do that by: (1) lowering your thermostat to 68 or lower, (2) open blinds to take advantage of the sun’s natural heat during the day, (3) close blinds and shades at night to reduce heat lost through windows, (4) turn off and unplug lights and nonessential appliances, and (5) avoid using large appliances like dishwasher and washing machine.

I’m so thankful to be able to chat with you guys here!  It helps keep me sane and adds joy to my day! I’m also re-reading At Home with Madame Chic.  It’s one of my favorites!  If you missed it, you can also see what else I’m reading this year here.

Stay safe and warm friends!

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Meet Megan

Hi! I’m Megan, mom to a thoughtful teenager and spunky young girl. We call Houston home and recently moved into our dream home. I traded my lawyer hat to become a full-time blogger in 2010. I love sharing my passion for affordable fashion, home decor, organization, & fitness to help inspire you to take care of you!

19 Comments

  1. I have been thinking of everyone down there all week. It’s so crazy that you guys are getting so much nasty winter weather!!! I hope you guys stay warm & crossing my finger your power comes back on very soon!!!!
    `

  2. Thinking of all of you in the south. We deal with this weather all the time in Wisconsin, but we have everything we need to prepare for it. Hope all goes well and you are back up and running again soon. Praying warmer weather is right around the corner for ALL OF US!!

  3. So glad to hear from you Megan. Praying hard that power is restored and life returns to a more “normal” for all the lovely people in TX. We deal with these crazy winter storms all the time in Alberta, Canada however our building codes can withstand these crazy times plus we have the clothes, snow tires, gear, etc…. to deal with the storms when they come. You folks don’t. We just got over a crazy polar vortex deep freeze here -20F. 36F here seems tropical in comparison. Ugh….. seems like the whole world has gone crazy. We are all looking forward to warmer weather and spring to come. See that next Wed will be 71F for you folks in Houston so fingers crossed that you get back to normality today or very soon. Do you have sump pumps? Maybe ask Brian…. b/c if you have snow that melts too quickly, it can cause flooding trouble. Not being a negative Nellie….just trying to help you be pro active.

    1. Thank you so much for your wise words, it’s crazy to think we’ll be in the 70s next week, but hopefully that helps! Right now, the power is intermittent and we still have no water.

  4. Prayer and positive thoughts going out to you and your family!! Stay safe and so glad to hear that you are doing okay. I look forward to your posts everyday and it was good to hear from you today. Thank you for always bringing joy to your readers daily!

  5. So glad to hear you and your family are safe and secure. Hopefully it’s over soon and life can return to‘normal’.
    Thinking of you. Stay safe.

  6. Hoping your power and water are back on soon! I’m near Dallas and my neighborhood seems to be the only one that hasn’t lost power. I’m so grateful for that but my heart hurts for all those going without. I have a ton of family in Houston and lived through hurricane Ike and its aftermath there; hopefully utilities don’t stay offline that long!
    Praying for you and your family, and sending some love from Rowlett ❤️

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