Heat without a genset or wood stove or gas stove. Hand an foot warmers from Walmart an the like in the camping section. Little Buddy heaters that run on one pound propane or 20lb with attachments. K1 heaters at TSC, Farm Store an Hardware stores. Harbor Freight store has Gensets cheap an inverters. With an inverter you use your car battery (in car) or a deep cycle one in the living room. With the inverter hook to your car battery you have power an just run the car for twenty minutes every five/six hours or so, depending on battery. Hot water is easy without power. Open the Hot Water Heater, you have a drain use it. Shut the breaker off to it if electric (on a well). You should drain it(on a well) if it looks like the heater is going to freeze!
Now, I know people that live where this type of storm hasn't hit in thirty years don't think about them. But if your without power over 24 hours in sub freezing temps it's time to bugout. Take the family an go to somebody that has heat an power.
BUT before you leave do this:
1) Protect the pipes from freezing. On a well this means draining the lines an pouring RV anti-freeze in the traps, toilets bowl an tank. Leave the taps open an throw the breaker to the HW tank (if gas set at vacation an don't drain, if empty turn gas off).
1a)On City water you turn all the taps on to a 1/4" stream (or more). If it just drips it will freeze. On the toilet it's remove the flapper or put a butter knife across under it so it runs. Yes, the water bill will be higher but the pipes are safe.
2)Turn most (all) breakers off. You don't want to burn everything up when the power comes back on.
Yes, I've been that dumb guy staying for a month in a frozen house. But I sent the wife, kids, reptiles an horse to another State. I had 100+ Herefords that needed to be fed an not enough time or money to move them.
Good luck!
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