Snow in Toilet, Grits on Sidewalk, Clay Pot Heaters: Texans Use Ingenuity to Survive Brutal Cold

 Nicole Bonaccorso

Published: February 17, 2021

Jorge Sanhueza-Lyon stands on his kitchen counter to warm his feet over his gas stove Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021, in Austin, Texas. Power remained out for more than 3 million Texas homes and businesses Wednesday.

As Texans face another day of brutal cold and power and water outages, people are sharing their survival tips on social media. From clay pot heaters to toilet flushing advice, tips are flooding in from those living through the disaster, and from northerners, who are no stranger to the cold.

Clay pot heaters are making the rounds on social media as a way to get the most out of those tiny tea lights. Twitter user @KampferWolf shared that although this technique can't heat a house, it can be used like a heat lamp or a small space heater when the heat goes out.

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The outages have shut down water treatment plants and the cold has frozen and burst pipes throughout the state. Hundreds of thousands of people were told to boil water before using it, including all residents in Houston. Some needed to melt snow just to get enough water to flush their toilets.

This Twitter user even melted snow to wash dishes and make coffee.

Who knew you could use grits on icy stairs? Hand it to a Texan.

Many tweeted suggesting creating a "warm room" where everyone stays, covering all spots where heat can escape, such as windows and cracks under doors.

Twitter user @keerwegoagain suggested wearing synthetic blends rather than cotton to keep warm. According to Outside, synthetic layers dry much quicker than cotton, and synthetic clothing also helps to insulate the body better.

Northerners jumped on board, creating threads to share survival skills they've learned through living in a cold climate.

Twitter user @kurellian is an avid hiker and had lots of good advice for staying warm. They advised keeping the faucets on a warm drip to help keep pipes from freezing overnight.

And of course, never run your generator or a grill inside.

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The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.