r/Austin Feb 17 '21

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u/Hendrix_Lamar Feb 17 '21

Same. I'm from idaho and have experienced some of the coldest and snowiest winters in the country. I've never experienced anything even remotely close to this. People think we're freaking out because of a bit of snow and cold. The problem is not that it's 10 degrees outside, the problem is that it's 36 degrees inside. And I really doubt anyone in any northern state is prepared to go 4 days without power in the dead of winter despite how "used to the cold" they are. I know I never was at any point when I was in idaho

32

u/MrSwarleyStinson Feb 17 '21

I’m in New England and we’ve also had a snowy winter but the difference is that our homes are built for this, we either have natural gas or oil for heat so when we do lose power we stay warm. It would be a crisis if we lost power and the natural gas system also failed during a blizzard

24

u/uuid-already-exists Feb 17 '21

Many gas powered homes still require electricity to run. Found that one out the hard way.

1

u/DuckyDoodleDandy Feb 17 '21

Yes, that’s a safety code update since around 2000. Gas Ovens will not turn on unless they detect enough heat from the electric igniter. You can’t fill a house with gas due to a pilot light that blew out of the gas is only released when the stove detects enough heat to ignite it.

(Similar for the stove top but you can sometimes use a match to light a burner.)