North Carolina

We had a few ice storms growing up that caused major outages. I do not recall anyone having their house go below freezing temps because none of the houses there were solely reliant on one central system. And it is because of this fact that I always try to have alternatives for heating around my house. This fact is yet another example of how we have become far too lazy and dependent on people and things that are not going to have the best interest of the general welfare on their minds when something like this happens. (As well as falling for their hype that they do). I love modern technology and advanced building techniques and all that as much as anyone, but when society thinks it is 'ready' for whatever nature can do, when it thinks it is beyond the need for basic common sense preparation, then you get what happened in Texas. (Because no one lives in a 'weather' utopia). Sure, those power plant vultures should be strung up on the nearest oil rig for letting their infrastructures degrade while they swam in all their ill gotten gains, and for charging idiotic prices when they finally realized they were in trouble, but any time a person thinks they are beyond needing to be prepared... no matter where you are... spells disaster. Take it from someone who has lived through multiple hurricanes. (Hell, now I am living in Minnesota [save me please] and in a house that has nothing other than the central unit. I am terrified about this, mainly because I am a broke old fart now and cannot just go out and solve the problem. The lunacy in building anything in this part of the country, with only one heat source and vaulted ceilings, is beyond me. Probably why it was available for the price...)