We’re about to get slammed by a huge winter storm that is impacting people across the country. Our forecast calls for extremely frigid temperatures dropping into the single digits accompanied by 36 hours of sleet and frozen rain. It is going to a f***ing disaster in Raleigh.
The local and national forecasts, including ones from the NWS, are not only predicting the dismal weather. They have also predicted there will be widespread power outages across the entire state due to ice accumulation causing trees to fall onto power lines.
I am not looking forward to this.
This has been projected for about a week. The closer the storm gets, the more accurate (supposedly), and unfortunately worse, the forecasts become.
This reminds me of the hurricane tracking forecasts when I lived in Florida. We’d watch the news up to a week in advance as the forecasters made predictions, guesses and recommendations. People would rush out to panic buy/hoard gas, water, food and supplies. Shelves were emptied, lines were long and shit was kind of crazy.
It’s been that way here for several days now.
Ugh.
Unlike a hurricane that can veer off unpredictably, we know we’re getting hit. The sleet and icy rain is expected to start this evening and continue for about 36 hours as temps drop lower and lower. It will be bad.
The entire city will be shut down for days. And it’s not just Raleigh. This storm is hitting states across the US. Some will get feet of snow. Some will get ice. Some will get both. Everyone will get the frigid temps.
There;’s absolutely no way local or national government agencies will be able to help. The volume will be too overwhelming.
I’m as prepared as I can be.. I’ve got everything I need but an independent source of power and heat.
I am hoping I don’t lose power and heat. If I do, I’ll bundle up and huddle under a nest of blankets with the dogs. I’ll put all 3 of us in the car and run the heater if it gets too cold to stand. Otherwise, my plan is to hunker down until the storm passes and stay inside until it warms up enough to clear the roads and for power to be restored. I’ll take the dogs to a hotel if that’s an option and we have a long term power outage. But, just like when a hurricane hits, I imagine hotel rooms are nearly impossible to get. Plus, nobody is driving anywhere until the roads are cleared. The ice will make it impossible.
One thing I learned from my failed road trip experience in 2019 is that I can survive in 30 degree temperatures for days with no heat. I don’t like it. But I can do it.
At least now I have the proper clothing, a full sized shelter and four solid walls to shield me from the elements.
My fingers are crossed that it goes OK for me, for my neighbors and for everyone else who’s getting hit. Hopefully it won’t suck too bad.
Well, ready or not, here it comes. I’ll catch you on the other side.
*Postscript: It ended up not being as bad as predicted. We did get some snow, ice and frozen rain that coated our streets and effectively shut down the city. But it didn’t accumulate as much as predicted so there were not widespread power outages. It won’t melt for a while so we’ll likely be shut down for at least a few more days. I can deal with that as long as I have heat and power.