Eddie,
Thanks for the link; I've already been exploring that site.
You'd probably understand if you knew the winter we through last year with a nonfunctioning furnace, among other issues. No, we weren't basking in Arizona. We headed to northern Indiana from South Carolina in December through necessity and then made our way back south to Missouri in January. I towed through ice, snow, slush and rain. We experienced lake effect snow, got caught in a blizzard and a whiteout, got snowed in and laid over due to weather a few times.
We now have a dependable Montana (thank you Keystone!
)but, as stated in my original post, in New Jersey at a location where we have been told power outages are to be expected. We experienced the 30-hour outage after being here less than four months. Top that off with trees and power lines all around, we have a less than optimal scenario during an ice storm.
After being so cold and miserable last winter (you'd need to read my blog to understand), being without power for more than a few hours in winter is not acceptable not only for
my comfort but that of my husband, our dog and keeping our beloved Monty happy.
Been there, done that with keeping fresh water tank topped off during winter. We used nothing else last winter.
Television is low on the priority list of power items. Vital in our role as a security team, however, are cell phones, computers and lighting we need when entering the mills.
Heck, I'm a Texas gal, so I can suffer through without A/C for a bit, especially here in Jersey. I can even make do for a while w/o heat as we did last winter.
As we are at the bottom of the power restoration pecking order here, a severe ice storm could knock us out for a couple of days. Not an adventure I care to experience. A hotel would be fine for us but that would be leaving our work (we live on-site) and leaving our beloved Monty to shiver alone with no heat.
Heading South is not an option. We are working, enjoying what we do, and we have a commitment to be here. Besides, we love the area.
The above doesn't even address the issue of high voltage coming onto the property. Our surge protector box shut us down for a two-day period (over a holiday weekend again, of course!) due to voltage over 130. If you knew the time I've spent talking with the local power company attempting to get this resolved... Right now it's okay but we've been through this before!
All that being said, I was RV'ing as a babe in arms back in the late 50s, was a Girl Scout and I'm from the Texas Gulf Coast. I'd rather be prepared than be caught out.
Cheers,
Betty