The Same Storm, Two Stories

Tuesday evening, 6:47 PM.

The ice storm had been building all day.

Both families are finishing dinner when it happens. The lights flicker once, twice, then die completely. Outside, it's just eerily quiet. Everyone rushed home to avoid driving in the ice storm. At this time, the usual random car driving by or kids outside was non-existent.

Sara Mason looks up from her laptop finishing up some final work tasks after dinner. "Ugh, power's out," she says to no one in particular. Her husband Mike is loading the dishwasher, while their two kids who had been arguing over the last piece of garlic bread, scream.

Three houses down, the Chen family is having almost the identical moment. Lisa Chen was checking her work email on her phone when everything went dark. Her husband David was putting leftovers in the fridge, and their daughter Emma groaned as her video stream was cut off.

Both families do exactly the same thing. They grab their phones, turn on the flashlights, and peer out their windows to see if the neighbors still have power. They don't. The whole street is dark.

"Hmm hope this is a short one," Mike says, echoing exactly what David Chen is telling his family at the same moment.

Both families settle in to wait it out. The kids are excited with the excuse for no homework tonight and maybe no school tomorrow!

 

Day 1, Hour 3: First Choices

Tuesday, 9:30 PM

By 9:30, it's clear this isn't a quick fix. The temperature inside has dropped 15 degrees without heat, and both houses are getting colder. Online news stated it’s a widespread power outage over three counties due to the ice formation on power lines. The water treatment plant is also down and the cities have issued a boil order. Residents are urged to boil water for at least one full minute before drinking or cooking.  Roads are extremely dangerous, and people are told to stay home as conditions were expected to worsen. Cell phone service is getting spotty. Calls keep dropping and the internet is sporadic.

Sara Mason gets up to check on the kids. She blows out the candle, opens the kitchen drawer and grabs the flashlight Mike replaced the batteries in after last year's storm knocked out power for eight hours. She won't forget that night, stumbling around with no light, breaking her big toe and promising they'd be ready next time.

Before bedtime she makes sure everyone has a little solar light with them, in case they needed to get up. Last thing they need is an injury.

Mike checks on the refrigerator and it's still out. He opens the freezer and grabs a few of the water bottles they keep in there. Not for emergencies, but he likes really cold water after his morning run and they defrost to the perfect temp. "I don't think I’ll be running in the morning but might as well put these in the fridge to help keep things a little colder," he thinks.

Then he remembers "the garage fridge!" The old one they use for extra drinks and overflow groceries. With no power and freezing temps, it’s like a giant icebox regardless. They move over the most important items like milk, cheese, leftovers, anything that would spoil if it gets too warm.

They have some stored drinking water in the basement, but with the boil water order in effect, they fill several large containers and the bathtub with tap water just in case the water shuts off.   Better to have extra if the pipes freeze. Sara turns on the kitchen and bathroom faucets to a slow drip, plugs her and Mike's phones into the portable battery and they go to bed.

 

Three houses down, Lisa Chen blows out the candle they were using and uses her phone's flashlight to navigate to the dark kitchen. She tries to remember where they put the flashlights after they moved from Florida earlier this year. Were they in the junk drawer? The garage toolbox?
Back in Florida, they were used to hurricane prep: flashlights, bottled water, even a gas stove that still worked when the power went out. Winter storms had never been on their radar.
Her phone is already down to 30% battery, and she can't get any calls to go through. David heads to the garage to look for flashlights. Hopefully, the power returns soon so it can charge.

She hears the same report about the boil water order but doesn't think to store any extra water since they have bottled water on hand. "We'll just use bottled water until this gets sorted out," she thinks.

She opens the fridge to grab some water and notices it's not as cold as normal. "Honey," she calls to David, "Everything is warming up!"

"Just keep it closed” David calls back. It'll stay cold for a while. The power will probably come back on overnight."

 

Day 1, Hour 13: When Reality Hits

Wednesday, 7:30 AM

Both families wake up to a world transformed by ice. Everything outside looks like it's been dipped in glass. It's beautiful and frustrating at the same time. Still no power.

Inside the house is cold. Sara had pulled extra blankets from the closet around 3 AM when she noticed rooms getting chillier. She laid their fuzzy robes, socks and hats on their beds so they could see them first thing in the morning.

This morning, she makes coffee on the little camp stove and French press they use for camping trips.  She really needs her morning coffee and remembered they had it in the garage so she got Mike to dig it out this morning. It provided a little warmth for her hands as it was quite chilly inside. She keeps it by a cracked window, because some ventilation is important and she rather not cook outside. 

"Mom, I'm hungry," announces 8-year-old Jake as he rushes to the camp stove to warm his hands.

The garage fridge worked great. She was glad Mike had the idea to move the food there.  The kitchen refrigerator might have been okay, but better to be safe. If things go on too much longer, they may need to move it back inside or put in coolers because the garage fridge might get too cold and freeze some things.

She makes the kids peanut butter sandwiches and pours some milk into cups.

"When will the power come back?" asks 10-year-old Carley.

"I don't know, sweetie. But we're okay."

 

Down the street, the Chen family is having a harder morning. All three had piled into their king bed under several blankets to stay warm. Sleep was sporadic and no one wanted to get out of bed when it was warm under the covers.

Lisa opens the refrigerator and immediately senses not much had changed from last night. Still cool, but she's afraid things like the milk and leftovers would be risky to try. "Why did we not think to put things in the garage? It's like an icebox out there."

She stares at the electric stove, useless without power. No coffee today. In Florida, they'd had a gas stove during hurricanes, they could at least cook because the gas still ran. When they moved north and the house came with an electric stove, they hadn't thought about power outages.

"We need food," Lisa calls out to David. "I didn't do my store run this week yet, so even though the cold is working in our favor we still need to get some food to eat. We should probably go to the store and get stuff that doesn't need cooking," she tells David.

"Roads look pretty bad," he says, looking out at their street, which looks like a skating rink.

“We can grab more bottled water too, and we'll go really, really slow."

David agrees. They have to try.

Lisa and David made it to the store, but barely. Transplants from Florida, they now understood why people stayed home in this stuff. David had to drive 5 mph, and they slid through two intersections. Luckily traffic was very light. The parking lot was a sheet of ice, and Lisa slipped getting out of the car, bruising her hip badly.

Inside the store, a few other brave shoppers wandered nearly empty aisles. 'Storm panic shopping yesterday,' the clerk explained when David asked about the bare shelves. 'Happens every time the weatherman mentions ice.' Today, no bread, no milk, no bottled water. Just a few soups, some generic rolls, and plenty of crackers and cheese, which at least they could keep in the garage. Warm meals, though, weren't an option without a way to cook." 

“Got any camp stoves David asked?”  The clerk just laughed.

The total was $67, and cards were useless. David was thankful he had some cash from a return in his wallet, but not enough for another trip like this.

On the way home, a fallen tree had blocked the road, and they had to turn back and find another route. What should have been a fifteen-minute trip took two hours.

For the most part, neighbors are still in good spirits, hoping the power will come back on soon. Some people are grilling outside because it's the only way to cook something warm.

 

Day 2, Hour 37: The Butterfly Effect Continues

Thursday, 7:30 AM

The ice storm has stopped but it turned into heavy snow. Some trees and power poles have broken from the weight of the ice. Many cars that sat outside were sealed shut. The temperature is starting to warm up, but not enough yet.

The Mason family wakes up to the second day without power. Sara wraps in a blanket and uses the camping stove to make some oatmeal and pancakes for breakfast. What a difference a warm meal makes! The kids think it's an adventure as they run around to stay warm. Mike eats a hearty breakfast, knowing he is going to help move some tree debris down by the entrance to the neighborhood.

He checks for any updates on his phone: "...power crews are unable to work safely until ice melts from lines..." "...outage could be 3-5 days in some areas..."

"Five days?" Mike looks at Sara.

Sara mentally inventories supplies. They have plenty of water between the bottled water they always keep on hand, the stored water tanks in the basement and the extra they filled just in case. Their emergency food bucket has plenty of meals left.  The camp stove has enough fuel canisters for a good week, and she can boil water for drinking and cooking if needed. Spare batteries are ready for flashlights and the radio.

"We'll be fine," she says. And she means it.

At this point, Mike decides to close doors and seal off the open rooms with sheets. Everyone can stay in the kitchen and living room to keep any warm contained to one smaller area. He even sets up a tent so they could take advantage of body heat when they sleep.

 

At the Chen house, everyone slept in the same bed again. No one got much sleep but at least they stayed warm. The goal of the day was to get through another day, pile on more clothes do things to generate body heat and hope the power comes back. They at least had food and water from the trip yesterday and had some canned items in the pantry. 

 

Day 2, Hour 43: Snow Day Adventures

Thursday, 1:30 PM

After being cooped up for two days, both families decide to let their kids play outside. It’s not freezing anymore and with no school and plenty of snow, the kids are getting restless.

At the Mason house, Sara bundles up Jake and Carley into their snow gear. "Stay where I can see you," she calls out. The kids are excited to build snow forts and have snowball fights in the front yard.

Down the street, Emma Chen convinces her parents to let her build a snowman with the Masons. She's been stuck inside for days and wants some company her own age, even if it's colder outside.

Twenty minutes later, Emma slips on hidden ice under the snow and falls hard, cutting her leg badly. She's bleeding and crying, and the cut looks deep.

David Chen drops his shovel and rushes over and sees blood seeping through Emma's torn pants. Lisa hobbles out on her injured hip, and they both realize it’s not a simple scrape.

"The roads are still terrible. If we can’t stop the bleeding we will need to take her to the hospital 40 minutes away," David says, trying to stay calm.

He rushes inside to get some first aid from the linen closet but only finds Band-Aids for smaller cuts, not this. Lisa throws him a dish towel to help stop the bleeding, but they have nothing to properly clean and dress a larger wound.

Three houses away, Sara Mason hears the commotion and grabs her stocked first aid kit from the closet. Mike grabs a blanket, and within minutes they're outside with the Chens.

“Let me take a look,” Sara says calmly. She cleans the cut, uses some suture bandages then wraps it with gauze and tape from the kit. “It’s deep but clean. This should hold until you can see a doctor when the roads are better. “She looked at the Chens, “she might need stitches.”

She hands them some extra supplies. "Change the dressing tomorrow and keep it dry," she instructs.

The contrast is stark. The Mason family turned a scary situation into something manageable with the right supplies and knowledge. The Chen family, already struggling, faced another crisis that could have been much worse without their neighbors' help and was extremely thankful.

 

Day 3, Hour 71: The Gap Widens

Friday, 5:30 PM

The Mason house at least smells cozy with a meal cooking on the camp stove. Mike has everything isolated to the kitchen and a small adjoining room. Sara is making Stroganoff, but she's distracted, checking on Jake every few minutes.

He'd woken up this morning burning with 102.5° fever and vomiting. Sara had given him a fever reducer from their medicine cabinet and been monitoring him throughout the day. He's resting on the couch now, wrapped in blankets, while Mike and Carley play quietly nearby with cards.

"How's he doing?" Mike asks quietly.

"The medicine is helping while it's in his system, but the fever keeps coming back when it's time for another dose," Sara says, worry in her voice. "He still can't keep anything down. I'm able to keep him hydrated enough, but if his fever stays high, he'll need to see a doctor.” "The roads are awful," Mike said, "but we'll go if we need to."

Even being prepared doesn't prevent everything from going wrong, but at least they can manage it for now.

Nothing has frozen outside, so the garage fridge is keeping things to a good temperature. The water is holding out fine and Jake needs it now more than ever. They're using their water storage for drinking and cooking since the boil order is still in effect. Luckily the faucets are still dripping, and the toilets are flushing fine. Phone service is spotty, but they are getting occasional updates and have a radio for backup.

 

Three houses down, things are not getting any easier. Lisa's getting concerned. Her hip still hurts from the fall, and she's been taking ibuprofen every few hours and it’s not working as well. The cold is adding to everyone’s misery. Emma's leg has improved slightly thanks to the proper first aid, but they still are watching it close for any signs of infection.

They're down to their last bottle of water, it goes fast!  With the boil order in effect for the county, they'd need a way to boil tap water. They're wondering if they can drink melted snow safely, but their phones are dead with no way to charge so they can't look anything up.

David went out again today to find more supplies. Lisa and Emma went along just to get warm in the car.  They made it to a gas station and bought 4 bottles of water for $5 each. Not much cash left and no one was able to take credit yet. The cashier said everything was still shut down but the radio said they the city was making progress.

With no way to warm things up, they've been eating things that don't need cooking. Crackers, granola bars, cold canned soup or vegetables from the pantry. Food is food, but a warm meal would be nice.

The flashlight batteries are dead, leaving only a few candles for light.  For warmth, they bundle in several layers of clothes, hats, gloves, blankets and use body heat when they sleep. They know they should probably be doing some exercises to keep warm, but they're getting discouraged and less active each day.

 

Day 4, Hour 97: Two Different Realities

Saturday, 7:30 PM

"Power company says maybe tomorrow," Mike announces, after checking the radio. The Mason family, while tired of the situation, is managing well. Jake's fever finally broke this morning, and he's asking for food, a good sign. Mike was relieved they wouldn't need to risk the icy roads to get him to a doctor. Sara makes some broth for Jake and chili on the camp stove for everyone else, adding extra canned vegetables from their pantry. The kids helped by opening cans and stirring.

They treat it all like an extended camping trip in their own house. The kids even look forward to "game time" in the evening when they tell stories or play cards.

"I wish we could do this more often," Carley says, "but with electricity and when Jakey isn’t sick. “

By making small, practical choices, having some basic emergency supplies, and moving food to the garage, staying calm and making the best of it, they've turned a crisis into something manageable.

"You know what?" Sara says quietly to Mike as the kids brush their teeth by the solar lights, "I'm glad we had things to handle this."

 

Down the street, the Chens are miserable. Tension is high and they are starting to snap at each other. Lisa's hip injury is no better, leaving her unable to help much. David made another dangerous trip out today, this time to find a pharmacy to get more pain medication for Lisa and bandages for Emma's cut. He picked up some chocolate bars hoping to ease a little tension with a treat. His only buying power, cash is gone. 

The stress is getting to all of them. They're cold, hungry for something warm, and running low on everything. The last of the candles at least gives them some light, but not much warmth. The expensive food and water they bought is dwindling, and David's getting worried about Lisa's injury thinking they may need to brave a trip to the hospital if this does not let up soon.

"I’m so cold. How much longer?" Emma Chen asks for the tenth time today.

Lisa doesn't have a good answer. The Masons had told David the power company is promising ‘maybe tomorrow’. They just wait, getting by on more cold soup and crackers, trying to stay warm and hoping this ends soon.

 

Day 4.5: The Power Returns                                                                                        

Sunday, 9:23 AM

The hum of the heat kicking back on was like music to both families. After four and a half days, the power is finally back. Cheers rise in unison from houses all along the street.

At the Mason house, the kids run around flipping on every light switch they can find. Sara starts a load of laundry and thankfully begins putting away the camp stove and emergency supplies. Mike takes down the sheets and the tent. Thanks to the garage fridge, they lost no food and they had enough water throughout the whole ordeal.

"We should probably add to our supplies,” Mike said, “We were lucky the garage was an option, what if it had been during summer?" Sara agrees. They both realized having the right supplies ready can change with the seasons.

 

At the Chen house, there's huge relief, but also exhaustion. Lisa's hip still hurts, but roads are clear so they headed to the ER. They spent over $200 in cash on emergency food and supplies. "I never want us to go through that again," Lisa says.

"Maybe we should plan to keep some emergency stuff around in case this happens again," David suggests. Lisa immediately agrees.

 

The Same Storm, Different Stories

Both families lived through the exact same ice storm. Same street, same power outage, same freezing conditions. But small differences in what they had on hand and choices they made created completely different experiences.

The Mason family were not "preppers." They had simply learned from previous experiences, kept a few practical supplies around, and made smart decisions when the power went out.

The Chens weren’t foolish. As Florida transplants, they had never faced a winter storm. They simply hadn’t thought ahead about what they’d need for a long outage in freezing weather. By the time they realized it was serious, their options were limited by icy roads and empty shelves. Afterward, they started a list of supplies to buy and asked the Masons for advice.

Lessons Learned

Don’t wait for an event to happen before you get some supplies.

Basic supplies make all the difference: flashlights, spare and rechargeable batteries, a camp stove with extra fuel, shelf-stable food, coolers, water, a solid first aid kit, and keep some cash on hand.

Smart choices that mattered: moving food to the garage, filling water containers early, keeping faucets dripping, staying off icy roads, reducing the living space and keeping the family calm and together.

None of this requires a huge investment or lifestyle change. It's just being proactive and thinking through what you'd need if normal services stopped working for up to a couple weeks, and keeping those things organized and ready to use.

Both families faced the same storm. One endured it somewhat comfortably. The other was miserable and struggled. The difference wasn’t luck, it was readiness.