JM
Finally put together a proper winter car kit this year after being stranded on 35W during the ice storm last January. The NOCO jump starter recommended on this site is worth every penny — my battery died in 18°F weather and I was back on the road in 5 minutes without calling anyone. The hand warmers I had in the glove box turned a stressful situation into a manageable one.
SR
Question for the group: we had our pipes freeze twice last winter in our house (built in 1978). I insulated under the sink and let the faucet drip but still had issues in the laundry room wall. Has anyone dealt with pipes in an interior wall that still freeze? Wondering if we need to call a plumber to re-route or if there's a better insulation approach.
DK
Sharing my full summer power outage setup in case it helps anyone. We lost power for 4 days in July during a heat wave. We had: Jackery 300 (ran a small fan and charged phones), a Coleman cooler with 20 lbs of ice (lasted 3 days), and a WaterBOB we'd filled in the bathtub when we saw the storm coming. It wasn't comfortable but it was safe. The WaterBOB alone might have been the best $30 I've ever spent.
AL
Pet owners — don't forget your animals in your emergency plan! After hurricane prep season started, I put together a separate kit for our two dogs: 3-day food supply, copies of vet records, their medications, a folding water bowl, and photos of us with them in case we get separated. The vet records tip came from this community and it's been a game changer. Some shelters won't take pets without vaccination proof.
MH
After the tornado warning last spring, I realized I had no plan for where in my house we should go. Did some research, reinforced our interior bathroom (no windows, low center of mass), and now have a go-bag in there with water, flashlights, first aid, and our important documents. Takes a load off mentally knowing we have a specific plan. Highly recommend everyone identify your shelter spot before tornado season.
Community's Top Tips
The highest-rated tips shared by our members — voted up by people who've actually used them.
TW
💡 Fill your bathtub with water BEFORE the storm hits, not during. By the time water pressure drops, it's too late. If you have a WaterBOB, set it up the night before a storm warning. If not, any clean container works. We filled three 5-gallon buckets and they were lifesavers during a 5-day power outage when the water pressure dropped to nothing.
CC
💡 Keep a paper list of important phone numbers. When my phone died during the storm and the power bank was gone, I had zero idea how to call anyone. Your brain doesn't remember numbers anymore. Write them on an index card: family, doctor, insurance, neighbor, power company. Put it in your go-bag.
RB
💡 Know where your gas main shutoff is — and have the right wrench. After our neighborhood smelled gas during the February freeze, half the neighbors didn't know how to shut off their own gas line. You need a special flat wrench. Keep one near the meter. Your utility company will show you how — just call them.
Storm Stories
Real experiences from our community — what happened, what helped, and what they'd do differently.
KP
The February 2021 Texas freeze — our story.
We lost power for 6 days. Pipes burst in three places. We had two kids under 5 and a 73-year-old mother-in-law with us. What saved us: a camp stove we used on the back porch (never inside!), 50 gallons of water we'd filled in advance, and a neighbor who had a generator and shared power for a few hours each day.
What I wish we'd had: a real backup heat source, more food that didn't require cooking, and a battery radio. We had no idea what was happening — the internet was down, our phones died, and we felt completely cut off for 3 days.
We have a full kit now. Never again.
We lost power for 6 days. Pipes burst in three places. We had two kids under 5 and a 73-year-old mother-in-law with us. What saved us: a camp stove we used on the back porch (never inside!), 50 gallons of water we'd filled in advance, and a neighbor who had a generator and shared power for a few hours each day.
What I wish we'd had: a real backup heat source, more food that didn't require cooking, and a battery radio. We had no idea what was happening — the internet was down, our phones died, and we felt completely cut off for 3 days.
We have a full kit now. Never again.