DESOTO, Texas — The winter wonderland has turned into a winter nightmare for some North Texas families.
Yetta Howard and her little kids have been without power in DeSoto since Sunday afternoon, and to top it off, her gas went out too.
“They said due to pressure problems they would send someone out but when they sent someone out they cut the gas completely," Howard said.
With no way to stay warm, she and her kids are bundled up on the couch.
“Multiple, multiple layers and blankets," Howard said.
On the other side of the metroplex in Farmersville, Jennifer Saldivar is worried about her 80-year-old father.
“We’ve kept him hunkered down in the living room to keep him warm,” said Saldivar.
Saldivar and her family have also been without electricity since Sunday afternoon.
“It worries me how long we are going to have to go without,” said Saldivar.
There is always concern for the elderly in these types of conditions.
A WFAA viewer sent us the following Facebook message:
“My elderly parents have been without electricity since 3 a.m. My dad has lots of underlying health conditions and also has a breathing machine that he depends on."
As the hours tick by, homes are getting colder. Some viewers have told WFAA temperatures inside their homes are in the 40s.
If you lose power, here are a few steps you can take to stay warm:
- Close any blinds/curtains or put blankets or towels up to cover windows and provide insulation.
- Close off rooms to avoid losing heat and stuff towels in cracks under doors.
- Wear layers of loose-fitting, warm clothing, especially warm socks and gloves if you have them.
- Eat and drink food to provide energy to warm the body but avoid alcohol or caffeine.
- If you have candles, lighting them can help act as a heat source.