2022-2023 Winter Weather Thread

[Anastasis 23711]

35 minutes ago, Cap33 said:

Homeowners policy might cover your food spoilage. Made a claim on mine (USAA) yesterday, and they paid it right away.

Do you have a separate or no deductible.  Gonna have to look up my policy.  Some people are suggesting that tree replacement may be covered in some situations, but I did not think that that was the case. 

[Underdog 29132]

32 minutes ago, Ten Bears said:

Pretty sure you can just use latex paint to seal the oak tree damage.  I don't see how we won't have lots of oak wilt damage in the days to come.

Flex Seal

[Scheiss Meister 8464]

6 minutes ago, Ten Bears said:

People cook with live oak?  I always thought it made kind of rancid smoke.

I imagine that there's plenty of post oak and pecan down.  I don't like live oak, either.

[texasdago 7764]

50 minutes ago, Orange&White said:

And now for the flood of chainsaw cut victims to the hospitals!

Yeah dude... no joke... ask me how I know.  Sheesh.  

Re: insurance policies, some apparently do cover food spoilage up to a certain amount without a deductible.

Trees apparently you are covered if it hits the house but maybe not otherwise.  Of course, each policy is different.

Edited February 3, 2023 by texasdago

[Cap33 407]

14 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

Do you have a separate or no deductible.  Gonna have to look up my policy.  Some people are suggesting that tree replacement may be covered in some situations, but I did not think that that was the case. 

Neither. Not sure what aspect of the coverage it falls under (not a coverage lawyer), but it looks like it's a payable claim as long as you're not claiming other property damage to the home from the storm or power outage.

I claimed $500.

Edited February 3, 2023 by Cap33
added info

[Jiggy-Z 3509]

18 minutes ago, Ten Bears said:

People cook with live oak?  I always thought it made kind of rancid smoke.

Not a huge fan of live oak, but I have done a few brisket with it and they were really good. Just not the best aroma when cooking compared to other stuff that is available.

I prefere using mesquite in my fireplace due to the oak smell and the fact that it is much easier to split.

I have basically an endless supply of downed and dried mesquite at my parent's ranch. I have taken many trailer loads of it out of there over the years and it never seems to make a dent.

[utee94 16078]

I love to grill with mesquite.  I never BBQ with it.

 

[gsoda3 3362]

55 minutes ago, Ten Bears said:

Pretty sure you can just use latex paint to seal the oak tree damage. 

my neighbor's family ran a medium sized orchard and they'd propagate new trees by using cuttings off established trees sealed with latex paint.  she said the same method could be done for oaks and actually gave us a few cuttings she'd been nursing for a few years but they all died in a freeze back in 2011.

[RPM 26601]

57 minutes ago, yoladu said:

the 80's man

I may or may have not driven over an hour to catch Loverboy at some rando club off SPID in Corpus circa 1980something. Pretty sure I hauled some primo tail outa there, too. Or I could have been blackout drunk. Either way, good times.

[crash_davis 23468]

I went through the 2021 shitshow without electricity or water. I remember at the end of the ordeal, I was beyond furious that almost all of the that shit could've/should've been avoided, especially the no water part because some assholes who run Austin Water didn't know how to turn on a fucking generator.

 

I just want those of you going through this week with out power to know that I am still pissed about 2021. Just know you'll still be pissed and have PTSD about this shit 2 years from now.

Being assholes brought us together. But being miserably pissed will keep us together. Yay us!

[burntorangebongos 10809]

5 hours ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

Is that one in your back yard still alive?

I had to bring that one and the red oak down last year. Good thing for the back porch one. No doubt would have dealt with damage and debris if I hadn't.

 

[TexPx 2331]

How did you get one of those? Did you steal an acorn?
Can I get one of your tree's acorns?

You can buy a sapling here if in stock
https://legendarytrees.com/shop-trees/

I bought a seedling 15 years ago and donated it to our local Heritage Museum for Arbor Day. It was some special deal from American Forestry Association I think.

[Brisketexan 106849]

4 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

Being assholes brought us together. But being miserably pissed will keep us together. Yay us!

[Grade of D as in David 13255]

8 minutes ago, TexPx said:

You can buy a sapling here if in stock
https://legendarytrees.com/shop-trees/

I bought a seedling 15 years ago and donated it to our local Heritage Museum for Arbor Day. It was some special deal from American Forestry Association I think.

The aggy tree is on sale 🤣

[Anastasis 23711]

39 minutes ago, Cap33 said:

Neither. Not sure what aspect of the coverage it falls under (not a coverage lawyer), but it looks like it's a payable claim as long as you're not claiming other property damage to the home from the storm or power outage.

I claimed $500.

Looks like my policy does cover downed trees. I have two.  Also covers food, but $250 deductible. 

[4th&Five 41935]

 

[gsoda3 3362]

26 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

 Also covers food, but $250 deductible. 

so like 2 dozen eggs.

[Post Oak 20554]

50 minutes ago, Grade of D as in David said:

The aggy tree is on sale 🤣

Done.  Thanks

[hornian 5284]

I've officially been without power longer than in 2021. 

 

Yaaaay. 

[demos 3035]

https://www.kut.org/energy-environment/2023-02-03/why-did-this-ice-storm-cause-so-many-power-outages-in-austin

Who could’ve guess that the neighborhood associations were opposed to tree trimming? /sarcasm

[yoladu 4187]

22 minutes ago, hornian said:

I've officially been without power longer than in 2021. 

 

Yaaaay. 

2021 for me was either 94 hours... currently at 59 hours

• would have to hit SUNDAY MORNING AT 1AM to break my PR (seems more and more possible)

Edited February 3, 2023 by yoladu

[texasdago 7764]

11 minutes ago, yoladu said:

2021 for me was either 94 hours... currently at 59 hours

• would have to hit SUNDAY MORNING AT 1AM to break my PR (seems more and more possible)

Progressive overload, my man.  Only way to grow.

[BrazilHorn 6808]

Power still out In Pemberton and got note from councilwoman basically saying “go fuck yourselves “. 
blows

[Biff Tannen 46134]

42 minutes ago, hornian said:

I've officially been without power longer than in 2021. 

 

Yaaaay. 

I was only at 18 hours in 2021. Just passed the 56 hour mark in 2023. 

[AUS-97HORN 12000]

42 minutes ago, hornian said:

I've officially been without power longer than in 2021. 

 

Yaaaay. 

same  lost power for 55-6 hours in 2021.  lost power at 3a on Wed.  its now been 57 hours.

[Goredho 17640]

I am sorry you assholes have to deal with this 3rd world shit.  But in the misery is an opportunity.  One of you could use this as an excuse to pre-emptively kill Alex Jones before he eats your ass.

Edited February 3, 2023 by Goredho

[Not that Bob 743]

On 2/1/2023 at 4:40 PM, Judge Roybeanbag said:

If I had known last week what I know now, I would have ordered a couple of these to stick under our front yard oak for an hour or two last night to melt some of the stuff.

 

Please pontificate about this unit. 

[Spaulding Smails 1610]

2 hours ago, Ten Bears said:

People cook with live oak?  I always thought it made kind of rancid smoke.

It's great, but takes some work.  Best to let it season for a year or more.  Also need to de-bark it and split it.  I use it for smoking and big pieces for the fireplace.  I'll typically get the fireplace started with Red Oak then switch to Live Oak when I have a good bed of coals.  Same on the smoker, but I start with charcoal or Mesquite to get the bed going.

It better be good.  I'm forecasting at least two cords of split Live Oak when I'm done with the carnage at my place.  And probably a decade's worth of firewood at the ranch, unfortunately.  

[Brisketexan 106849]

1 minute ago, Spaulding Smails said:

It's great, but takes some work.  Best to let it season for a year or more.  Also need to de-bark it and split it.  I use it for smoking and big pieces for the fireplace.  I'll typically get the fireplace started with Red Oak then switch to Live Oak when I have a good bed of coals.  Same on the smoker, but I start with charcoal or Mesquite to get the bed going.

It better be good.  I'm forecasting at least two cords of split Live Oak when I'm done with the carnage at my place.  And probably a decade's worth of firewood at the ranch, unfortunately.  

Yep.  Figure I'm going to make a big pile of live oak limbs to cure for a year or so, in a remote corner of the yard.  It makes fine firewood, once cured.

[YGIFS 19458]

Was informed earlier this afternoon that our lines extend from where we are (near MoPac) to 360.  Which I knew.  They follow a creekbed, which we all knew.  Apparently the creekbed has some trees in it.  Shock to us all.  Some of those trees fell, and they have to clear all those branches from 1 to 360 before they can attempt generation to avoid a larger issue.  Which we all knew . So we're all cooperating.  They know what they're doing.  I know what they are going to do.  And we all know some homeowners gonna be a bitch about pruning/trimming, some gonna be super helpful.  But the creekbed itself where all these trees and lines be running wild...it seems to have as a shock to almost everyone involved from Austin Energy, City of Austin, Davey Trees, et. al.  Like, "Hey did you guys know what when trees grow unchecked not on people's land...with their own water source...sometimes those trees get big, old, and fall over in ice storms?"  

This is beyond weird.  It's like explaining gravity to a 1st grader .

[Deej 77747]

5 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

.  And I'm lucky, we have a lifeboat at my dad's house

How I'm picturing Brisket...

 

[Brisketexan 106849]

5 minutes ago, Deej said:

How I'm picturing Brisket...

 

Meh.  More like:

My wife and dad don't get along too great.

[Anastasis 23711]

I'll smoke the shit out some brisket with live oak, red oak, whatever. As mentioned it needs a good cure. 

 

Shit, I might drive around Hyde Park this weekend in the truck with my chainsaw and offer assistance for a bed full of pecan.  I miss having a bunch of that shit all the time, self-pruning motherfuckers those pecan trees. 

Edited February 3, 2023 by Anastasis

[YGIFS 19458]

Nobody would get along with in-laws on that shitty ocean-going vessel.  Ya' jackass.  

[Deej 77747]

Probably already posted, but CenterPoint has sent crews to Austin. Hopefully that helps speed up the process. 

[Deej 77747]

5 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Meh.  More like:

My wife and dad don't get along too great.

Is he too positive for her?

[Axle Hongsnort 210]

78746 and still without power damnit

[The Ace of Aces 5374]

It’s 14 out with 40 mph winds. I tried to light the grill for burgers but it was a no go. 

[utee94 16078]

Oh man, my inlaws who have been without power in 31, are now going to come stay with us.  We get along really well, but we don't typically live under the same roof.  

Might need to begin cross-posting to the "holidays with family" thread...

[YGIFS 19458]

14 minutes ago, Axle Hongsnort said:

78746 and still without power damnit

AE finally admitted the crux of the problem rests largely with the Eanes creekbed.  Some folks self-prune like me, some folks have pros prune for them, some folks say "get off my lawn" and don't prune at all, some at least heed warnings from AE.  But nobody really pays attention to the growth in the creekbed.  Especially the Energy department charged with paying attention to it.  So lots of overgrowth since 2021.  Nobody checked up on it.  They estimate from Rollingwood to Loop 360, in the multiple hundreds of downed limbs over the lines.  They have to get every one of 'em off before they can retry distribution.  That will not happen until tomorrow at best, quite possibly Sunday.  

Nobody, not nobody walked the fucking bed since Winter 2021.  Half the shit lying on lines has been dead and on there since 2021.  Yeah, it's dead and not getting bigger...but guess what it did do?  Served as a large, albeit narrow, ice tray to just weight down on lines.  And the other half was getting bigger with water draw and also served as an ice collector.  They're blaming homeowners who wouldn't prune/allow pruning (and rightfully so in part)...but they had zero fucking idea what was going on down on the creekbed all the way out to 360.  I don't blame the guys on the ground.  they gotta job to do and they're fucking busting ass.  I blame the guy at a desk at that office on Barton Springs who thought, "Meh, most of the trees down there are already dead from 2021...how much damage can they do if they already fell over?"  Yeah, 'cause trees are like video game characters, the second they die...they fall over and stay still.  

From DC to the Pink Dome to City Hall to my HOA...we are on the dumbest fucking timeline. 

[Judge Roybeanbag 11860]

2 hours ago, Not that Bob said:

Please pontificate about this unit. 

Haven’t used one for this application but it puts out 45k BTUs the heat from which flows upward, and attaches to a propane tank so you can move it.  Given that it wasn’t much below freezing and low wind, it probably would have melted a lot of the buildup on the first day.  Maybe not.  Definitely better than the old smudge pots we used when I was a kid.  

Edited February 3, 2023 by Judge Roybeanbag

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

33 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Meh.  More like:

My wife and dad don't get along too great.

 

[Wally Pryor 5400]

Will be interesting to see if Cronk gets a 15% raise at his next PE or 10% as a slap on the wrist for this fiasco.

[4th&Five 41935]

Watching the AE presser. Did I hear correctly that they’ve only restored 13k homes today? It’ll be another week at this pace. 

[royiv 9748]

2 hours ago, BrazilHorn said:

Power still out In Pemberton and got note from councilwoman basically saying “go fuck yourselves “. 
blows

WTF do you expect your city councilwoman to do? Come over to your house and personally restore the power? 

[Biff Tannen 46134]

7 minutes ago, 4th&Five said:

Watching the AE presser. Did I hear correctly that they’ve only restored 13k homes today? It’ll be another week at this pace. 

Seriously. I’ve been watching all day and yes, the outages have gone from about 122k to 109k right now. That is WAY too slow. 

[Jerry Callo 8958]

I went by my mom's place this afternoon.  Everything in the refrigerator and freezer in the trash.  

I saw an AE truck when I pulled in.  New lines were dropped off along the greenbelt, presumably to replace all of the old lines.  No telling how long this is going to take.  

[ChuckNorrisActionJeans 2692]

Where’s our esteemed governor in all this to get us more outside help for repairs?? All I’ve seen from him is how great the grid is holding up and that people here should report damage. Venal prick.

[Grade of D as in David 13255]

37 minutes ago, utee94 said:

Oh man, my inlaws who have been without power in 31, are now going to come stay with us.  We get along really well, but we don't typically live under the same roof.  

Might need to begin cross-posting to the "holidays with family" thread...

Have them stop at the liquor store on the way over 

[Wally Pryor 5400]

13 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

Seriously. I’ve been watching all day and yes, the outages have gone from about 122k to 109k right now. That is WAY too slow. 

I'm sure we'll engage a consultant or 10 to assess why it's taking so long.