Leader Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 A bit of a different take on this cold front matter - but consider this..... There's been news reports that foreign intelligence agencies have backdoors in our infrastructure systems. Read: electrical grid. The threat being that they'd shut it down in some manner. In a purely hypothetical sense, what would you do - if presented by -50 degree temperatures (or the recent situation) and no electric / heat for an extended period - say, three days. ? Hunker down at home around the fireplace? Fire up the generator? The question is meant honestly. I've never been in such temperatures - so I'm asking those that have. How would you get through it w/o electric heat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThatJerkDave Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 (edited) 11 minutes ago, Leader said: A bit of a different take on this cold front matter - but consider this..... There's been news reports that foreign intelligence agencies have backdoors in our infrastructure systems. Read: electrical grid. The threat being that they'd shut it down in some manner. In a purely hypothetical sense, what would you do - if presented by -50 degree temperatures (or the recent situation) and no electric / heat for an extended period - say, three days. ? Hunker down at home around the fireplace? Fire up the generator? The question is meant honestly. I've never been in such temperatures - so I'm asking those that have. How would you get through it w/o electric heat? Stay inside. If you can stay in a small area with a candle and bundle up you will be surprisingly warm. If you have a fireplace you will be fine, just stay in the room with the fire and close off any other rooms that you can to keep the heat in a localized area. I would be more concerned with obtaining water than heat. It takes a lot of snow to make water, your plumbing will be off because of the electric pump or freeze. [edit] use the generator if you have one, I didn't see that part. Though for heat, I would still go the fireplace route if available. Your generator will have limited use. Edited February 1, 2019 by ThatJerkDave 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leader Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 (edited) 8 minutes ago, ThatJerkDave said: Stay inside. If you can stay in a small area with a candle and bundle up you will be surprisingly warm. If you have a fireplace you will be fine, just stay in the room with the fire and close off any other rooms that you can to keep the heat in a localized area. I would be more concerned with obtaining water than heat. It takes a lot of snow to make water, your plumbing will be off because of the electric pump or freeze. That makes sense and I agree with you the effect a fire can provide. Add on edit: Are most homes up there built with fireplaces? Edited February 1, 2019 by Leader Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThatJerkDave Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 My family moved to South West Missouri in the mid 90s. It doesn't get cold, or snow like it does in Wisconsin. But they do get ice storms. We were in a pretty rural area, so when the power lines would go down because of the ice, we were lower priority than the towns. The fireplace in my parents' house put out so much heat that I couldn't even stay in the room with it. I'd guess the room gets to 85 or 90F. Later after I moved out my dad bought a generator. My parents get a fire going and use the generator to power their refrigerator, the TV, and their phone chargers 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leader Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 (edited) 15 minutes ago, ThatJerkDave said: My family moved to South West Missouri in the mid 90s. It doesn't get cold, or snow like it does in Wisconsin. But they do get ice storms. We were in a pretty rural area, so when the power lines would go down because of the ice, we were lower priority than the towns. The fireplace in my parents' house put out so much heat that I couldn't even stay in the room with it. I'd guess the room gets to 85 or 90F. Later after I moved out my dad bought a generator. My parents get a fire going and use the generator to power their refrigerator, the TV, and their phone chargers Yeah - w/o getting "survivalistic" (not a word...but conveys a concept......) about things - you'd probaby have to be prepared in some way if you lived in such extreme climates - or the potential for such an extreme climate. Apartment dwellers? They might have some decisions to make.....and it might be just drive out of there - or find a shelter. Edited February 1, 2019 by Leader Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreatZepp Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 I have a gas fireplace which could stay working if the electric goes out. A small generator, a solar panel for running everything. Needed for camping/tailgating, Add in all the winter/thermal/sledding gear my family has, the 1 1/2 cases of hot hands, heated jacket. i would just seal up all the space that wasn’t vital, for example my stairs are basically a cold well at the bottom. Have sheets of ridgid insulation as well as expanding foam i’ll Use. if this is looking to be a long term issue, install a wood burner. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sasquatch Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 Looks like you poor frozen bastards up in the great, white north are gonna get the chance to thaw out. An 80 degree differential in some places. From parka to short sleeves in mere days. Incredible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vegas492 Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 1 hour ago, Sasquatch said: Looks like you poor frozen bastards up in the great, white north are gonna get the chance to thaw out. An 80 degree differential in some places. From parka to short sleeves in mere days. Incredible. It ain't so much the cold that got me as much as it was the flu. I've been down for the count for 3 days now. Remember that scene from Alien when the alien punches out of the chest? That is how my stomach feels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sasquatch Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 2 minutes ago, vegas492 said: It ain't so much the cold that got me as much as it was the flu. I've been down for the count for 3 days now. Remember that scene from Alien when the alien punches out of the chest? That is how my stomach feels. Oh that’s a bummer. Get well soon! Warmer temps on the way too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vegas492 Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 1 minute ago, Sasquatch said: Oh that’s a bummer. Get well soon! Warmer temps on the way too! I hope so. I need to get out of the house. I've caught up on all the movies I wanted to watch. I've hit rock bottom now. Sitting here on the computer while watching MacGruber. I'm not sure it gets much worse than that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubz41 Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 2 minutes ago, vegas492 said: I hope so. I need to get out of the house. I've caught up on all the movies I wanted to watch. I've hit rock bottom now. Sitting here on the computer while watching MacGruber. I'm not sure it gets much worse than that! If you start watching Dr. Pimple Popper, I'll call 911 for you!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sasquatch Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 2 minutes ago, vegas492 said: I hope so. I need to get out of the house. I've caught up on all the movies I wanted to watch. I've hit rock bottom now. Sitting here on the computer while watching MacGruber. I'm not sure it gets much worse than that! I went through an illness a while back and pretty much worked through most of the good stuff on Netflix myself. Now I’ve got nothing left to watch, LOL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norm Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 3 hours ago, Sasquatch said: Looks like you poor frozen bastards up in the great, white north are gonna get the chance to thaw out. An 80 degree differential in some places. From parka to short sleeves in mere days. Incredible. Looks like -20 to 50 from Wednesday to tomorrow here. It's 18 and I feel like I should be wearing shorts. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vegas492 Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 2 hours ago, Dubz41 said: If you start watching Dr. Pimple Popper, I'll call 911 for you!! Wife has it on DVR. I can't make myself watch that. Deadpool 2 now. Saw it once, time for the second go-around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThatJerkDave Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 13 hours ago, Leader said: That makes sense and I agree with you the effect a fire can provide. Add on edit: Are most homes up there built with fireplaces? I live in St. Louis. And in a mid-rise apartment building. So, I am not sure. In the scenario, I would probably show up at my uncle or bosses house or maybe make the trip all the way to my parent's house, but that is 5ish hours away. A lot of the townhouses in my area are very old, and most seem to have chimneys, though I don't know if they are open, nor where people would get the wood from to run them. I do think that most mid-large size homes above the Mason-Dixon line have a fireplace in them. As I recall the houses around campus at Mizzou also seemed to have fireplaces, but I think most of them were closed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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