So you live in a traditionally warm climate and suddenly have to deal with an unprecedented cold snap.
How to survive the cold with limited power, insulation and heating options.
(Most of these require a bit of planning ahead and having supplies on hand in preparation for an emergency, but they will keep you warm, and more importantly, do so safely.)
Tea light candles and terra cotta gardening pots: you do need to use genuine terra cotta for this, but lighting a candle beneath an overturned terra cotta pot - one of the ones with drainage holes in the bottom so the candle doesn’t sputter - will act as a no power space heater for small rooms. Just make sure they’re only lit while you’re awake.
Block door gaps with towels: roll up bath towels and wedge them under the doors of any warm rooms you have; it will prevent cold air getting in underneath them. Along those lines…
Tape bubble wrap to drafty windows: it works about as well as industrial insulation film, and if you’re careful taking it back down again, can be rolled up and reused. This will prevent some heat loss at night, and as it isn’t blocking light out, will help sun-warm the house during daylight if it isn’t too cloudy.
Sleep with other warm bodies: share a bed with housemates, invite over friends or family, pets - anything warm blooded will contribute to warmth and you’ll all be safer for it. Bundle up and huddle together until your power comes back on!
Set up a camping tent around your mattress: this is another one that requires advance planning, but a zipped up tent will make for an enclosed space that is far easier to make warm and keep warm, and if your mattress and betting are put inside it, will be the safest and most comfortable way to sleep.
If you have advance warning of a cold snap, leave your faucets dripping on purpose: this will prevent the water in your house’s pipes from freezing. Frozen water will burst a water pipe, leading to a lot of unnecessary water damage.
Try to have a pantry of shelf-stable food and access to at least one method of cooking it that doesn’t rely on electricity, like a gas powered camping hot plate, if you can afford them. If all else fails, you can likely heat food over open candle flame, but it might be better to eat tinned tuna or cereal or what have you in that case.
And then of course, the usual power outage preparedness applies: flashlights and batteries, at least one battery powered radio, and make sure your car’s gas tank is full if for no other reason than using it as a power source; even if roads aren’t clear you can turn it on and huddle inside.
For those of you without homes: if you have the money for it, consider getting a cheap gym membership so you have access to indoor spaces even late at night, some are open 24 hours, and look into YMCA or soup kitchens or shelters way in advance. You’re going to know your resources better than I am, but the cold is no joke. Good luck and I love you.
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IYHM is my debut graphic novel, a YA sapphic romcom about insecurities, growth, and the tender uncertainty of new love. it’s the kind of story i wanted to read in college - something sweet, comforting, and a little silly too. i can’t wait for you to discover who these girls are and what makes them fit together so well ❤️
