What to Do If Your Power and Heat Go Out in Lubbock This Weekend

It's going to be incredibly cold in Lubbock for the next few days, and I'm worried sick for anyone who doesn't have somewhere warm to be. Here are a few tips on what to do if your power and heat go out over the next couple of days.

First things first: stay inside if you can. Wind chill is not your friend, and exposure will add up incredibly fast. Your goal is to trap heat, conserve energy, and avoid doing anything at all that makes it worse.

Pick One Room and Camp There

Choose the smallest room possible, preferably one without a lot of windows. Close doors to unused rooms. If you have towels, clothes, or blankets, stuff them along the bottom of doors to block drafts. Basically, do your best to turn your house into a heat-saving bunker.

Layer Like You’re an Onion

Wear multiple layers, even indoors. Start with a base layer (long sleeves, leggings, thermals if you’ve got them), then add sweaters, hoodies, or flannel. Socks are critical—double up if you can, and wear a hat or beanie. A shocking amount of body heat escapes through your head. If you don't have gloves, put socks on your hands. Mittens actually keep your hands warmer because your fingers are touching one another, so socks can be mittens in the instance.

Blankets Are Tools, Not Just Decorations

Pile them on. Use comforters, quilts, sleeping bags—whatever you have. If you’re sitting or sleeping, tuck blankets around you tightly to trap warm air. If possible, everyone should sleep in the same room. Body heat will help much more than you think. Cats, dogs, all the pets, all the kids, everyone. Sleep in the same room together.

Eat and Drink Warm Things

If you have a gas stove and it’s safe to use, warm food and drinks can help raise your body temperature. If not, eat what you can. Calories matter the most when you are cold because your body burns more energy trying to stay warm. Do not forget to drink water even if you aren't thirsty. You can become dehydrated without even realizing it.

Absolutely Do NOT Use These Indoors

This part matters:

• No grills

• No camp stoves

• No generators

• No propane heaters that are not designed for indoor use

These can cause carbon monoxide poisoning, which is silent and deadly. Cold is bad, but you do not want to die from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Use Cars Carefully

If you must warm up in your car, only do so outside, never in a garage, even with the door open. Make sure the exhaust pipe isn’t blocked by snow. Run the car for short periods, not hours.

Know When to Leave

If your home drops into the low 40s or below and you can’t safely stay warm, it’s time to go. A friend’s house, a warming center, or even your car (safely) is better than risking hypothermia. Walk around Walmart. Go to a Lubbock library: they are ALL warming centers. Find a restaurant that will let you sit in a booth for a short period of time. Just find somewhere warm and stay put as long as you can.

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