Boone, North Carolina Watauga County
Ice Storm 2026
The Chronicles of Masked Man Ice Storm 2026!..just starting to snow here!
Still have electricity
Ice storm(s) on their way to this area!
Source. 1 Masked Man Eye Witness report begins..
Masked Man is on the scene! coming to you from the High County Appalachian Mountains!
located at an elevation generally ranging from approximately
3,200 to 3,500 feet
Storm hasn't hit our area yet but its scary...One time there was a storm and I listened to trees snapping and falling at random... They just snap and fall quite deadly
Got a hard hat on and climbed on my roof a few years back to get my firewood as seen in this video (it's hard not to get sick just thinking about it)
Video of just a little of the after math of one ice storm from a few years ago in North Carolina:
VIDEO of some Aftermath trees having fallen on home some years back:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UGhwnZdB5rR2nXUAZGVFCUYCdJyLY8Ib/view?usp=sharingMind you it was far worse than as seen in the video trees laying across home!
To further complicate things, I am a masker and tend to stay quite independent from most others as it is very rare to find masked buddies for me in this area. I am very mindful and wary of contagious illnesses coinciding with people helping one another during disasters like this. So for me it is double edged sword so to speak I have to survive the disaster as well as prevent unnecessary exposure to illnesses which I fully believe are often spurred on and fueled by people coming together and helping one another. So regardless of the views of others things often come in pairs and I protect myself from natural disasters such as ice storms and outbreaks of illness at same time. That's my theory and I'm not going to test whether my theory is wrong or right..lol,,it's in my best interest to act as if I'm right about natural disasters making outbreaks of illness worse! I'm better off masking and taking precautions either way. For me it's not about being right or wrong its about being better off safe than sorry. So I just take my time strategically cut and roll logs of roof myself..lol!
I'll try to keep you posted as the storm hasn't hit yet here yet
I ground up up some extra coffee incase the the electricity goes out.. nothing worse than having no way to grind up coffee in the morning ...... got oil lamps.. jugs of water .. and of course I just cleaned the wood stove and my loved one and I can use the wood stove to survive off of (although I worry about trees knocking over chimney) and I have a creek to get buckets of water to flush toilets with incase we lose electricity! I think I'm ready as I ever will be..hope no more trees fall on roof as I'm sick of gathering firewood off my roof.
There was never an official study I know of that determined for example that lots of people got sicker during say the natural disaster of the floods of Helene but then I found out later a huge proportion of North Carolinians had long covid not long after that disaster..Its probably likely such studies go to the wayside as people ignore illnesses in the face of natural disasters and focus on the disaster recovery and people don't even want to acknowledge illnesses at that stage .. but to me it just stands to reason that natural disasters create more illness outbreaks and its not a personal theory I am willing to confute or test out so I stay independent from group activities and I mask and tackle things apart from the flock.
Now I am safe to feed my wood stove with my firewood because
I just cleaned the chimney as seen in my
Masked Man Chimney Cleaning Music VIDEO:https://youtu.be/HDUQBNwBFIA?si=JrLbyLcWxiQpzcdCStay safe and I hope we all make it through the ice storm(s) in one piece ,
The Masked Man
Update: January 24, 2026, about 6 pm That snow stopped but I hear the rain/sleet now outside the window and that of course is how it always has happened in the past with these ice storms the rain instantly freezes when it hits and covers stuff like trees ... time to feed dog.. Scamp is my dog's name he is part Chihuahua and made for cuddling with in big easy chair.. he keeps my chest warm ..I'll keep you updated but at some point something might knock out electricity..later my friends... the trees freeze ..the worst is the combination of when the trees freeze and then the cold wind comes along in the blinding snow falls too..often there's the weight of snow that sticks on top of all that wet stuff that froze everything...(many years ago I crept around my house I think it was near Christmas times..this was many many years ago and I just listened to trees snap and fall..the initial cracking and splitting sounded like an implosion of sorts then it turns into a splintering sound in the distance echoing a little acoustically its kind of a unique sound... the sound of splintering and then a thud on ground and little ricocheting of wood sounds knocking off one another .. that time the wind wasn't even blowing and everything was super quiet in the background.. pretty amazing just one tree after another at random simply falling because they were frozen and the weight of the snow just did that)... every ice storm is different I suppose ... talk later
...
Update: January 25 2026, about 10:30amFrom the Masked Man’s abode.. Just woke up sheets of ice on back porch feet doesn’t leave footprints like walking on a glacier... .. fed feral cats they have houses outside stuffed with straw.. the thing about this storm is probably it’s duration .. it is like ice storms in a row… still have electricity so I hold off using firewood .
I’m disappointed car didn’t start up right last night not that I’m going anywhere anyway .. maybe it’s distributor or spark plugs like a cylinder isn’t firing up .. just the idea one doesn’t have transportation feels a little intimidating but we are safe here.
My loved one is feeling well. Lots of food, a gas oven I can light up with match to cook food off of. Drinking coffee watching the news … listening to some rain or sleet hit the window outside which is amazing because it’s so cold that it must be freezing as soon as it hits surfaces .. ..biggest personal fear here would be tree smashing through home or loved one having an emergency or an accident. Gotta do everything in slow motion never get emotional to be safe .. it’s almost as if people need to hole up and hibernate if they can to be safe slow metabolism down and not take risks to be safe in my opinion.
I still expect to lose electricity at any moment .. no wind so far but everything is so brittle mechanical failures and trees and objects falling inevitable ..frigid days ahead of this must already be catastrophic for many others .. lots of cancellations and community support on the local radio of community organizations and places offering too o help those in need in this little Mountain-town community.
I of course am safe and warm with dog named Scamp two cats upstairs holed up with Masked woman and about to eat pancakes and then I’ll throw some wood stove ashes out on the walkway which is better than salt just incase a delivery ups or fedex man ventures to drop off any goods today.
Again I hear the pitter patter of rain turning to ice outside the window. I had a paper route as a kid and snow never bothered me as much as the freezing rain is the worst. With days of this ahead this should prove devastating and potentially deadly storm for many people.. we shall wait and see.
Be safe,
The Masked Man
P.S.
Believe it or not having living a lifestyle in the habit of precautions against pandemic and illness outbreaks lends itself to automatically be safer for natural disasters.. …there might be some tips to surviving natural disasters such as
buying in bulk hidden in
Steve’s post:
What Should "Endemic Covid" Preparedness Look Like?
https://www.datareport.info/off-topic-discussion/what-should-'endemic-covid'-preparedness-look-like/All I know is Masked Man and Masked Woman could feed an army if we had to of which we won’t.. our bakery is stocked with a couple fifty lbs bags of flour and all sorts of goods I could survive without leaving home for quite some time. We are somewhat setup to not have to go anywhere. Masked Man and Masked Woman have behaved ourselves and we don't mess with anybody.
I have strict a masking mandate /ordinance on my property here. I don’t enforce it for my delivery people because they have a private loading dock which is the front walkway to front porch. Nobody else is allowed there. No solicitation. I go to my loading area in mask with wheelbarrow to pick up our goods.. we are private bakery and so I am quite stringent about cleanliness around the goods that are delivered to me. No guests or visitors allowed. We are stricter here than at a hospital.
Hope I don’t offend anybody and hope I’m not coming off as a ‘mask hole’ .. lol..I would gladly lend a hand to help anyone but not at the expense of my own safety or my loved one’s safety who is 77 years old. If only people would mask and respect my precautions then I would extend my goodwill. Otherwise the maskless are on their own just as they have left me and Masked Woman on our own.. sorry but stay away from my firewood and all the work Iv'e done... no mask equals no help! Those are my personal boundaries and rules as The Masked Man!
I mean I'm sorry if the snow and ice inconveniences others ...I'd love to help others but I can't help people who aren't wearing masks look at all Ive already been through. .. nobody would help me in a mask.. had to beg doctors and nurses to stick a mask on when they came near my Masked Woman.. I had to chop firewood, clean chimney, been through floods and hurricanes, pull logs off my roof, try to fix plumbing, shovel walks all by myself and not a masked friend in sight ever helped me while I secured the safety and needs for Masked Woman as seen in this
Masked Man Sings Karaoke Winter Work Videos VIDEO:.. I love the snow and the ice and I say let it snow more! This is my kind of weather! I think it's pretty.
Happy Holidays this winter, enjoy the snow, Be a protector, work smart & Wear an N95 Mask,
The Masked Man
P.S.
My loved one and myself hasn’t gotten any airborne illnesses in over six years because of masking... she hasn't gotten sick from age 72- 78 years old so far because we use N95 masking protection and take precautions.
Underneath my bandanna is my mask/ respirator and it has a valve to freely exhale from for prolonged use and appropriate cartridges to filter out covid, airborne diseases, many viruses, as well as dangerous particles from occupational hazards as well as even preventing allergens. As usual these videos are created solely to encourage people and inspire people who wear the safety mask. In all the time Ive worn my mask for over six years strait now outside my home I haven't caught covid, strep, whooping cough, bird flu, influenza, RSV, or even so much as a cold and it helps reduce allergies and many contaminants from occupational hazards.
Update: January 25 2026, about 4:26 pmOhhh now it’s pouring rain on top of snow and ice on ground .. water coating trees .. temperature dropping at same time .. this could be disaster .. probably lose electricity soon .. weight of everything being soaked and freezing … I just hope no trees crash through home .. this could be very bad..in the past trees have fallen on roof and never pierced through which isn’t the worst thing in the world.. it would be bad if tree hit chimney reducing my wood stove’s ability to keep us warm .. that probably won’t happen..also flooding can occur if there’s a lot of rain on top of the icy ground.. that probably won’t happen this evening now we nap save our strength could be tree limbs start falling soon.. time to sleep for awhile with Scamp my dog curled up next to my chest for warmth..ahh sweet slumber .. later..
In the meanwhile check out my
WINTERIZED FERAL CAT HOMES FULL OF STRAW
VIDEO SHORTS LINK:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/15-U5t4GDYf_ySpt_MVK0cEvzCJGwzEQU/view?usp=sharingThe Masked Man ZZZZzzzz
Update: January 26 2026, about 4:00am Scamp woke me up for a late dinner and to go bathroom outside.. now it’s super cold wind beginning to howl able to walk on top of snow ice.. snowing again .. after a day of on and off again rain.. this combination shot of rain then extreme cold is bound to wreak some havoc and knock out electricity hopefully others have a backup plan already well established.. a way to stay warm and have water & food without electricity..stay at home. If your nervous do something relaxing.. play some checkers online .. listen to an interesting documentary until the electricity goes out to help you sleep.. Going back to bed ..later
Update: January 26 2026, about 12pm noonIf you are safe and have your back up plans in place like warmth , water, and food an then you are safe don't take chances...I challenge the statement and idea 'there is safety in numbers'.. That may be true in certain cases it can be the opposite any many scenarios. People in groups take chances .. commotion is distracting .. I.E. I work on cars or mechanical challenges alone for that reason one might forget something and its dangerous being distracted by people when you need to take your time and think very carefully. Again just stay put if you are safe its definitely dangerous out here ... one slip on the ice and man you gotta busted kneecap or something.. just take my advice you don't wanna mess around in these extremes because the system is overwhelmed as it is.
When I was younger I used to jog a lot in extremes and one time I heard a yell of some sort and it was a manager behind a grocery store that had slipped on black ice.. he just lay there and I approached him I thought he had a heart attack or something and then I thought maybe he was paralyzed. I called the ambulance and just stayed there with him covered him with my coat till the ambulance carried him away..I checked the store later and I found out l he had broken ribs . Don't mess around out here .It's freezing out here!
Update: January 26 2026, about 2:00pm Come take a winter stroll with me to feed some birds and I'll show you my firewood stash in my...
Masked Man Plans To Survive Ice Storm 2026 VIDEO LINK:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1m2jo6GoImwL8w6lCRILEMY4dM3BCCwpf/view?usp=sharingUpdate: January 27 2026, about 12:00pm Noon Man that is some frigid arctic cold..it was just starting to really get to me.. ..Haven't lost electricity but regular little electric heat isn't doing the trick..The cold just eats at you slows you down.. gotta drink lots of water or you'll cramp up outside..Time to break into my firewood stash and light up the wood stove..sip coffee...AHHHhh sweet relief!
[wood stove photo attached below] Today should be a day of simply feeding wood stove! Ah that feels good to heat up my old achey bones! Ahhh, Nothing beats a wood stove for heat.. the wood stove heat just penetrates and warms up my very bones! Thank you Prometheus for stealing fire from the gods and giving it to us mere mortals..much obliged! I might actually feel like doing something... heat gives you certain kind of energy. I feel a little more like facing the day. I'm now more inspired to bundle up & simply fetch more wood.
This is a rough world and now I simply turn inward. Had a nice meal with loved one.. gotta fight the urge from going back to bed so I will pump a some little weights on my weight bench, drinking a ton of water, stick some earbuds in and listen to some some great educators and lecturers on Youtube read to me to relax me while I carry on in my mask all bundled up for winter outdoors. I'll do some outdoor work little chores such as fetching wood, throwing some wood stove ashes down on walkway. Often I listen to music but this time I think I will listen to some stimulating philosophy because its refreshing for the mind to think about the world of great ideas from writers of the past... I enjoy pondering and contemplating the nuts and bolts of learning. I enjoy lecturers discussing the philosophy of Aristotle and Plato.. learning keeps my my mind busy and keeps it enthusiastic with ideas... I do this while I get through some winter chores. what else can you do in these times but try to take care of yourselves the best you can!?
If I don't feed my mind with great ideas and education it might brood and get depressed with anxious but if I feed my mind with lofty thoughts and ideas good things are liable to germinate.. the mind is just like a garden. I may not understand everything that is being read to me but it serves as a springboard of sorts pushing my brain to daydream and think in different angles giving me thoughts I wouldn't have otherwise thought by myself. The reader or lecturer gives my mind something to work with. So while I carry on with a few little tasks I will feed my mind through earbuds off my cellphone and listen to you tube now while I work with something of substance that generates more thought..
Stuff like this fuels my thought takes my mind off stuff and same time gets me thinking:
Lecture and Seminars in regards to the Great Books and The great ideas LINK:https://www.youtube.com/@CommonScholar&
Lectures about Classic Literature LINK:https://www.youtube.com/@dr.michaelsugrueLater my friends,
Even during tough times like these try not to neglect what you are feeding and fueling your mind with..you want to divert your mind in healthy ways... keeping the mind stimulated does wonders for your mental health as well as overall wellbeing even during natural disasters.
&
Keep the fire burning,
The Masked Man
Update: January 27 2026, about 3:45 pm or sonow we bring it all together ..Here's my secret as to how I survived the ice storm! I play a little classical guitar for you,I throw some wood ashes down so my delivery men and women don't fall, I bring in some firewood and stoke up the fire and even read a little Aesop's fable for you in my ...
Masked Man Survives Ice Storm 2026 The Sequel!
VIDEO LINK:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UQoegvwekgxLrrFJFtU_IT4AxoU9PH-M/view?usp=sharing.
