Health Friday 1.30.2026 Open Thread: Winter Storms Edition

The free header image of an ice-covered tree for today’s offering is courtesy of Unsplash and Google Images.

Health Friday is a series devoted to information about Big Pharma, vaccines, general health, and associated topics.

There are Important Notifications from our host, Wolf Moon; the Rules of our late, good Wheatie; and, certain caveats from Yours Truly, of which readers should be aware. They are linked here.

Today’s offering is the Winter Storms Edition.

Winter Storm Fern came to Central North Carolina last Saturday night, bringing high wind gusts, some snow, lots of sleet, freezing rain, and ice. Nighttime temperatures plunged to the single digits, causing a hard freeze situation for the roads, the trees, and other things that were already coated with sleet and/or ice during the daytime hours.

Last Friday, when the final track of Winter Storm Fern was being clarified, Yours Truly began to make plans in case the incoming storm could turn into something that no forecaster would have been able to predict, such as, a deep-snow event; or, an ice event; or, both. Local family was contacted and initial plans were made in case Yours Truly and her small dog needed to evacuate her home and come stay with them. I hung an extra set of curtains on the windows of my house to keep more heat inside. I got in supplies of bottled water and food. I made sure the laundry was done. I made sure I had my heavy boots ready, lots of warm clothing on hand, the dog’s “sweater” and “outdoors coat” ready. I paid some upcoming bills in advance. I made sure the battery-operated lamps and radio were ready. And more. Then, it was time for getting the fireplace ready for use, in case the power went out. I thought I had the situation under control.

However, on Saturday afternoon, when I started the small “test fire” in the fireplace, there was a problem: some kind of residue had coated the damper, sticking it almost shut even though the damper was left open by the chimney sweep who cleaned the fireplace (this was last year.) The “test fire” was not a success. Yours Truly contacted family and told them that I and my dog would be coming to stay with them for the duration of the incoming storm. By this time, it was 2PM on Saturday afternoon. Fern was due to arrive in Central North Carolina by 6PM. Local media were warning drivers to be off the roads by 7PM. Yours Truly had to pack up herself and her dog, get the house ready to ride out the storm, load the car, and get to Chapel Hill by 6PM at the latest.

And this is where “the rubber met the road”, so to speak, regarding what to pack and how quickly I could get that done, “bed down” my house, and load the car — all before 5PM. I could only take one (two, maximum) small pieces of luggage for me — a small rolling suitcase, and a small overnight bag that has a “trolley sleeve” which fits over the rolling suitcase pull handle. My dog had what he needed in his “everything box”, which is always ready. What I had to do was to decide (quickly) what would be the most important items that I might need for several days away from my house — clothing; personal care items; laptop, charging cords for the laptop and my phone; a week’s worth of vitamins and supplements, and so on. What about packing a book? No — I would have to use the books I’d downloaded on my phone. Battery-operated small radio? — Yes; and extra batteries. What about property insurance information? — contact numbers and policy numbers were on my phone. Have some “argent” in case using a credit card wouldn’t be possible? — Oui.

What to keep in the car, “just in case”? Jumper cables? Yes. Bottled water? Yes. Blankets? Yes. Extra gloves? Yes. Flashlight? Yes — and extra batteries. Shovel? Yes. Ice scraper / broom? Yes. Gas tank filled? Yes. Tires OK? Yes.

What about family mementos that I couldn’t bear to lose — such as, my mother’s engagement ring? Wear it. Some precious family photos? Tuck them into one of the two travel bags.

Then, the house had to be “bedded down.” Make sure that small appliances, the printer, the lamps, and so on, were unplugged. Make sure that water was doing a slow drip in the kitchen sink with the undersink cabinet doors left open. And more.

I managed to get all these things done, and the car loaded, by 5PM for the drive to Chapel Hill. By this time, I was also dealing with my Yorkie, who was registering “Mom, something’s going on that isn’t normal” at 15 on a scale of 1 – 10. Thankfully, we made it to our destination and got settled in just before the first waves of Fern arrived.

This experience taught me some things, among them: First, what I thought I had under control can change on a dime; second, the importance of making lists of what to do and what to pack if there’s any chance that one would need to evacuate the home before this becomes a necessity; third, the importance of having the fireplace cleaned and serviced every year, and making sure that any fireplace work / repairs are performed promptly; fourth, to know where to go in the event of an evacuation — and to get that knowledge in advance of the event; and, fifth, in case that “Plan A” doesn’t work, to have a “Plan B”, a “Plan C”, and even what might be called a “Plan FUBAR“, ready.

Yesterday, Yours Truly and her small canine friend packed up at our hosts’ house, loaded the car, and drove back to Chez Yours Truly. Fern had exited Central North Carolina on Sunday night, leaving a deluge of heavy sleet and ice just before she left. It wasn’t until Tuesday that the main roads were really passable; it wasn’t until Wednesday morning that the remote side roads were getting plowed and treated. The daytime temperatures on these days were just warm enough, and there was just enough sunshine, to help out. However, Yours Truly drove back to my house as if I were driving after a winter storm in Pittsburgh (where I grew up), taking a more circuitous route to stay on as much of the main roads as possible. Thankfully, Chez Yours Truly rode out Fern in good shape. There were no major power outages in the area. The sun had melted much of the sleet and ice off the driveway.

There is another large winter storm on its way to the East Coast of the United States, to arrive this weekend. This new storm is being a “Bomb Cyclone” by the National Weather Service (https://weather.com/.) For Central North Carolina, it appears — so far, per the NWS — that the major impact will be sustained winds of 20MPH, with some snow in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill areas. However, AccuWeather (https://www.accuweather.com/) has a different story — with snow starting as early as Friday afternoon, rapidly deteriorating conditions, and wind gusts of over 40MPH by Saturday afternoon for the entire area. Today (Thursday 29 January), local residents have been outside, trimming or cutting down trees on their properties in preparation for this new storm. Local media are calling for the possibility of snowfall amounts of 8 inches or more, and “blizzard-like” conditions. It may be that “the truth is somewhere in the middle” on this one.

Readers are invited to add their experiences with winter storms (or, indeed, with any type of storm.) What was done to prepare for a potential evacuation? What was done to ensure that the house would ride the storm out in good shape? What was done to keep self, family, and pets safe and calm?

And now, a recipe for a “winter tea” to help with hydration (very important in the winter; cold, dry air, heat from furnaces, and so on, can lead to dehydration without one knowing it); and, to help maintain blood sodium levels:

Ingredients:

A favorite herbal or decaffeinated tea, either tea bag or loose tea (caffeine can contribute to dehydration)

Honey

Lemon juice

A few grains of salt

(Optional, for those adults so inclined: 1 teaspoon of hard liquor)

Boil water to make one cup of tea, add the tea bag (or loose tea in a teaball) and let steep for a few minutes. Remove the tea bag or the teaball. Add the honey (2 teaspoons), the lemon juice (a splash), and the salt. (Add the optional hard liquor.) Stir all gently. Serve at once. Makes one cup of tea. Enjoy!

Peace, Good Energy, Respect: PAVACA