Prepping Saved My Grandparents' Lives

Posted by Due-Frame6610@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 73 comments

My grandparents were among the people affected by the 2021 Texas freeze, where, unfortunately, a lot of people lost their lives. My grandpa has always been one of those doomsday prepper types, like, fully convinced robots are going to take over one day. So he always keeps a stocked pantry, backup food, and pretty much anything related to prepping. That actually ended up saving them. When the freeze hit, he already had everything they needed, backup power from a generator and backup fuel, of-course food. At one point, almost half the street was staying at his house. People were basically camping there, sleeping over for about 3 days straight. Ever since then, I’ve been way more into prepping myself. It made me realize prepping is not always about doomsday, because that's what I thought when I thought of a prepper. Just randomly thought of this story and thought I could share it to inspire someone to start their journey. Also, if anyone has recommendations for high-calorie, nutritious foods to stock up on, I would really appreciate it.

[-]

Every-Difference5561@reddit

For a high calorie food to prep. Peanut butter!! Buy a couple of the Costco size containers. 100 calories per tablespoon

[-]

SylviaX6@reddit

Yes to peanut butter Also chocolate Also honey and canned milk Freeze dried coffee

[-]

TheMrsH1124@reddit

I buy honey by the 3 gallon bucket. Not prepping, just because it's the cheapest way to get real US honey. But the preparedness aspect really rocks, too 🤣

[-]

SylviaX6@reddit

That is a great way to buy!

[-]

TheMrsH1124@reddit

10/10. I got so tired of buying imported honey and wondering what percentage corn syrup it was.

[-]

TrilliumHill@reddit

It gets worse. When we started getting interested in bee keeping, a potential mentor was telling us that we could harvest honey 3 times a year from a single hive if we feed them sugar water. Take a guess as to what that honey is mostly made up of.

We have a lot of roadside stands selling honey, I'm always wondering which ones are selling sugar water and don't even realize it

[-]

TheMrsH1124@reddit

Oh that's such an interesting point 😱😱😱 that would explain a lot!

[-]

Wiley_Jack@reddit

How do you prevent crystallization?

[-]

TheMrsH1124@reddit

I don't! Crystallization just means it's real honey. Personally I think it makes it easier to measure, too. I just melt it gently if I need it liquid.

[-]

Iartdaily@reddit

I bought, honey that was labeled organic from Costco last year. It’s been open in my Lazy Susan for the year now -no crystallization. I’m beginning to wonder if it really was organic. Seems like it should be crystallizing a little bit.

[-]

TheMrsH1124@reddit

Do you have the label? What's the country of origin? In my research, I discovered that either the US does not certify organic honey, or the process is so rigorous (bees have to have I think five miles of unsprayed territory in every direction) that it is functionally impossible.

Regardless, it seems that "organic" honey usually comes from other countries with looser "organic" designations and potential corruption.

I'd rather buy real US honey with no certifications 🤷‍♀️

[-]

UnicornFarts1111@reddit

One of the few things you don't have to worry about spoiling.

[-]

TheMrsH1124@reddit

Yep! The eternal food!

[-]

Wiley_Jack@reddit

Bonus: You can mix most of those things together for a delicious treat.

[-]

Quadratic_001@reddit

What about powdered whole goats milk? I have a small amount in storage plus it's easier to digest than regular cows milk. Lactose friendly too. I do plan on getting regular skim powdered milk I just wondered if goat milk is a good option.

[-]

Wiley_Jack@reddit

I like goat milk. No digestive issues and tastes decent too. No reason why you couldn’t use it, although I didn’t know you could buy it in powdered form.

[-]

UnicornFarts1111@reddit

Anything you will consume and be happy with is a good option, in my opinion.

[-]

Sad-External141@reddit

Don t forget dandelions and other forgotten herbs and such.

Dandelions roots are an improvised coffee, new leaves = salad greens, older leaves = greens, flowers either jelly or wine, the sap of the stem = improvised sticky note glue.

Pine trees ≈ wide variety, et cetera

[-]

QueerTree@reddit

Yes!!!! The goal! And now the next time your grandpa needs anything, those neighbors have his back. This is how we get through the tough times, prepping and community.

[-]

dropkickoz@reddit

Also by voting for better policies to protect people in future crisis events.

[-]

MostlyBrine@reddit

Policies might help you days or weeks later. If you survive until then. You are on your own until the policies get there.

[-]

dropkickoz@reddit

They aren't mutually exclusive. What a bad take.

[-]

MostlyBrine@reddit

I am not talking here about some sort of exclusivity. I am talking about the interval between something happens and help is getting there. You must be able to survive on your own for several days at least, without external support. If you imagine that any help will be available instantly, you are setting yourself for a dangerous disappointment.

[-]

saintofhalloween@reddit

Yes, especially with the FEMA responses we have seen in the US the past two years... Help may be coming... At some point

[-]

dropkickoz@reddit

I'm not sure anyone would be thinking like that in a prepper subreddit, but I do agree you have to think short term and long term both.

[-]

MostlyBrine@reddit

I lived many years north of Seattle, in an area where November winter storms will knock power off every year, like clockwork, sometimes for several days. Most people did not had at least a flashlight and batteries for it. I had a coworker complaining about taking cold showers at the light of her iPhone. She was born there, she should have known better.

I went for a training in emmergency preparation held by the county, and the stories I heard raised the hair on my back. At least the people in this sub look like they understand what needs to be done.

[-]

diverdadeo@reddit

Key!

[-]

saintofhalloween@reddit

Good job grandpa! I'm happy to hear he was stocked up enough to be safe and help others. He's a real hero. Not everyone is that generous.

[-]

Ok_Exchange342@reddit

My husband and I only prep because we are both to pansied-assed to "rough" it anymore. I like my comforts and I realize the grid is very vulnerable.

[-]

TheMrsH1124@reddit

Same. We prep way more intensely now we have small children, because they have needs we don't.

[-]

kirbygay@reddit

Make sure you teach your children how to use the preps. I remember when Russia first invaded Ukraine, a little girl survived her apartment building getting bombed. She died because she wasn't able to access water. I show my offspring where we keep water, how to use a can opener, who go to for help (if im not able to be there...)

[-]

TheMrsH1124@reddit

I love this. My 3.5 year old knows how to access water from the tap but could not physically open a water bottle yet. And couldn't really feed himself. But he's gaining independence daily!

[-]

Impressive_Seat5182@reddit

Me eyeing that 3 lb bag of coffee beans at coffee shop this morning (and wondering if my 5 lbs in the freezer is enough).

[-]

Iartdaily@reddit

Freeze dried sanka. Caffeine withdrawal migraines are a bitch!

[-]

MiaWallacetx@reddit

Same here. I’m too old to be uncomfortable for days.

[-]

Empty_Strawberry7291@reddit

I’m not hardcore but prepping has always seemed like a good idea. I never thought about it this way, but I think it might have saved our lives in that storm, too!

Propane heater safe for indoor use, food storage and alternative (outdoor) cooking methods, water storage… we turned the generator on for an hour in the morning and one in the evening to charge all the things and keep the fridge and freezers cold. I even worked remotely, taking video meetings on battery power and camping lights, and no one could tell the difference!

What we experienced because we were prepared was a fairly mild inconvenience for a few days, but without access to heat, food, water, and some intermittent power, it could have been something far worse for us.

[-]

4runner01@reddit

What “propane heaters safe for indoor use” do you recommend. That’s my only weak link at this point.

[-]

Jothpb@reddit

Ok….. I love this kind of story but back in that freeze weren’t the waterlines frozen and broken so what did all those people do for water? Besides what he had stocked up which surely it wasn’t enough for 45 people??

[-]

realityhiphop@reddit

You let the faucet drip so the water is moving and doesn't freeze.

[-]

Jothpb@reddit

When we read about it the town/city lines froze too… because they aren’t buried very deep.

[-]

realityhiphop@reddit

People lost heat, so pipes froze, but you can mitigate and prevent that by doing certain things. Prepping isn't all bout supplies; knowledge and prevention can help too.

[-]

Iartdaily@reddit

What else besides slow dripping water? I’m an old woman prepper and I don’t know much besides the basics.

[-]

malai556@reddit

Was part of that freeze. Our electric went out. The next day we noticed a leak but couldn’t find it because… no lights in the attic. So we had to turn the water off. The neighborhood had water, but we didn’t (from the house anyway. Yay prepping!). Turns out a nail was touching a pex pipe and burned a small hole. Easy quick fix, but it made us miserable for four days until the electricity was back and we could investigate. Anyway, not everyone was without water.

[-]

WardenWolf@reddit

Depends on many things. The underground lines should have been fine. If they had a pipe warming system or good insulation and kept the water running some it would have kept working. It all depends on preparation.

[-]

nakedonmygoat@reddit

It also depends on where they were in Texas. It's a huge state. Those of us down on the Gulf Coast didn't lose water pressure, although a lot of people did end up with broken pipes in their homes if they hadn't taken steps to guard against that.

If OP's grandparents were in north Texas, they were facing a different situation.

[-]

Sad-External141@reddit

When bad weather hits, fill up your bathtub(s), and if it looks really bad fill your washer with water (preferably in plastic bags.) Just how I was raised.

[-]

Accomplished_Egg1220@reddit

Me too. But we live WAY out in the boonies. I remember getting a 911 address when I was 17… we didn’t have emergency services around much in general.

I remember my dad and the neighbors personally fighting a wildfire to keep it from jumping the road three different times growing up. No available fire service 🤷🏻‍♀️

[-]

anthrohands@reddit

So what’s the suspicion here, do you think everyone in Texas in fact just died with no water?

[-]

NetAssetTennis@reddit

OPs grandpa was none other than Albert Einstein

[-]

Arglival@reddit

People can just go home and bring back what ever food they have. For water: if the main line doesn't freeze and the house lines don't freeze water shouldn't be an issue.

[-]

CassiusCreed@reddit

I think the expectation of preppers is that they are prepping for an apocalyptic event, and some are, but when you prep for long enough you realise it just makes sense for general living. I've lost water twice this month, once due to works and once due to someone stealing my meter. It was a minor inconvenience but I have plenty of water so didn't have to leave the house.

[-]

J_Thompson82@reddit

My friends always used to joke that I was preparing for a “zombie apocalypse”. Quite often they’d give me stick or think I was a little bit crazy for simply being prepared. Being a bit bewildered when they asked about it and I walked them through what I had.

Then Covid lockdowns hit. And suddenly no one had any toilet roll, or flour or pasta. It’s funny that they all thought to call me almost immediately.

A bunch of my friends are in to prepping a lot more now an see the value in being stocking your home with food and items that allow you to be self-sufficient for an extended period of time beyond what is considered the norm.

[-]

Weird-Grocery6931@reddit

Prepping was never really about doomsday, that was “survivalists”.

Preppers tend to prep for the unknown.

[-]

StopBigHippoPropgnda@reddit

The Texas freeze was what kicked me from extra stocks and stores to Prepping. Reading about those poor people that froze in their own homes kicked my butt into gear.

[-]

WhereDidAllTheSnowGo@reddit

Be Prepared.

[-]

indianapolis505@reddit

(credit: boy scouts)

[-]

freeindividual@reddit

During Covid when so many things were being hoarded or in short supply I never experienced a bit of anxiety.

[-]

Unfrndlyblkhottie92@reddit

Stuff happens daily, so it makes sense to prepare.

[-]

MoxieGirl9229@reddit

I live in Texas and was affected by the 2021 ice storm. We had power and heat, but ran out of water. I now always have 4 5-gallon water jugs on hand. I have dogs, too, so I have to think about water for them, too.

[-]

deleted_by_reddit@reddit

[removed]

[-]

preppers-ModTeam@reddit

There is nothing wrong with your comment. Under normal circumstances, it would have been approved if not for the last phrase.

Reddit is a communication platform, and people typically communicate through comments. While there is nothing inherently wrong with private messages, it’s unclear why you are encouraging their use. What is there to hide from others?

This issue, combined with the fact that your account was banned, is why I am not approving your comment.

[-]

Quadratic_001@reddit

Hi I just joined this community today and I started prepping as of late of last year. A similar scenario happened to me as well. Last winter a huge snow storm hit the east coast off of where I live and my dad did nothing to prepare. He was scrambling when I had everything in place. Fuel for backup generators, stoves, etc. We lost power and the whole family was panicking. It was at that moment that I was finally able to shine. I had food, water, heating pads, and fuel all ready to go and sorted days prior. The funny thing is that my whole family was telling me I was being paranoid and that I was blowing the severity of the coming storm out of proportion. Then to top it off my dad's a diabetic and his sugar actually dropped during the snowstorm. Guess who also prepared for that scenario. U guessed it, I had a bunch of sweets stored for him days prior to the storm too. The heating pads not only kept the family warm but also my pet Guinea Pigs warm as well since they are sensitive to cold temperatures. Now my family still thinks I'm a little bit crazy but at least they no longer act like my prepping isn't criminally insane anymore.

[-]

hogancheveippoff@reddit

great he was able assist other due to short term problem 👍👍👍

most of us would, including me 😀

whats "the line" for you for helping others and full lockdown?

[-]

Spiley_spile@reddit

A person can die just as easily on a regular ol Tuesday as they can on a Doomsday. Kudos to your Gradfather being prepared and able/willing to save lives in his neighborhood.

And good on you for seeing that and deciding to get prepared as well.

This post was such an encouraging read. Bad thongs happen, and people can die. But we dont have to sit by and do nothing. We can help others. Thank you!

[-]

nakedonmygoat@reddit

Most of my hurricane prep served me quite well during the ice storm. I've since bought a few things to make a cold weather outage a bit more pleasant, but in general, prep is prep.

Whatever the emergency, you want water, food, light, and ways to stay relatively comfortable in extreme temps. After you've prepped to survive reasonable scenarios for your area, you do a bit of prep for morale, whatever that looks like for you. It can be books, board games, sweet treats, or whatever. Not having anything to look forward to can make even the best prep a frustrating slog.

[-]

kshizzlenizzle@reddit

I was one of the ones who never lost power during Storm Uri. I did have quite a few family and friends who came over for a reprieve - my MIL, bless her soul, had tons of soups and things in her freezer, so she brought a ton of food over that we could reheat and feed everyone.

One of the things people tend to leave out, is how many deaths were attributable to just plain ol’ bad decisions. I had power, but I still had my child sleep between me and my husband at night just in case we lost power. But children died in their beds, because they were sent to their room to sleep alone. Many people died from burning things or running heaters they shouldn’t have indoors.

The moral of the story from the 2021 ice storm: Have a plan, and have some knowledge, or at least common sense.

[-]

nakedonmygoat@reddit

Yes, there were a lot of carbon monoxide deaths because people didn't have enough brains to know better than to run a generator indoors.

[-]

TheMrsH1124@reddit

We had an ice storm that ended up not being an ice storm this January, but our power did go out for about 8 hours and it was super helpful to have all our preps. We cooked a nice hot meal by electric light 🤣

[-]

BalancedLif3@reddit

we prep for disaster. Natural and man made.

[-]

suzaii@reddit

Peanut butter is great. Canned meats, granola bars, protein powder and shelf stable milk or powdered milk. It's so nice to hear that prepping saved your family. It's come in clutch at my house when the power has been knocked out for a few hours as well.

[-]