My new home is NE of Houston and, like most homes in this area, not really designed for freezing weather, let alone SNOW. That's without considering its damage from the last hurricane, Ike, but then that's why I got a great deal on it. I'll be spending today and tomorrow doing a few things to get it a bit more cold weather prepared and I suggest any of you in this area get your homes as ready as you can. Remember, our pipes are NEVER ready for a hard freeze but you can find plenty of sources on-line with tips to keep them from freezing and bursting. If your pipes are in an unheated attic, open those attic access panels and let the heat up there. I can promise you that the cost of heating that area will be far less than the damage of bursting pipes and water flow down through and around and over your house. I remember my first hard freeze in Houston in 1989. Several of my neighbors had a cascade of ice down the sides of their homes. The pipes in the attics had burst and the water flowed out and down, freezing and building ice along the way. Damage like that was so widespread that it took an eternity for people to get repairs. I had popped my attic access and let the faucets drizzle and life went right along as normal for me the next day. I was raised in Missouri and know what freezing weather can do and that water can be as damaging as fire.
This time, I'm in a block and beam home so all the pipes are under the house and not so much I can do before this freeze but at least the pipes aren't above my home :) This time, I'm more concerned about the loss of electricity because our electrical grid around this area is still in poor condition, the damages from Ike still having not been completed. We may lose electricity and phone services. For me, that will mean loss of internet access. OH NO! Ah, well, so be it. I'll try to be back in a bit with a more substantive posting if time and energy permit and will certainly be posting while trapped from the cold weather unless that dreaded loss of electricity or phone happens. Hm, should plug in my emergency cell phone while I'm thinking about it :)
To all in the area: Enjoy the wonderful white stuff if it shows up!