Sam Travis
Staff Writer
stravis1@umassd.edu
Up in New England, no one is a stranger to the occasional snowstorm. It is normal for several inches to fall on the ground, but we are always well prepared. Snowplows, rock salt, and proper heating systems always save New Englanders from being snowed in for days on end. But what happens when snow decides to fall in places where some people have never seen snow in their lives? What happens when temperatures drop the freezing levels in places where below 60 degrees is considered unbearable?
All of this happened to the people of Texas just several weeks ago, when winter storm Uri struck their state, leaving people in a panic. While most of Texas only got 3-5 inches of snow, it was the freezing temperatures that caused a statewide crisis that they have never seen before. Since Uri hit the state several weeks ago, millions of Texans have been left without power, heat and water. Freezing temperatures caused pipes to burst, flooding homes and icicles hanging from ceilings. Many Texans right now are suffering, very stressed on top of everything else happening. Many people in America wonder what they have to say.
This week, I was able to grab a first-hand experience of what is happening from my friend, who will remain anonymous. She lives in Abilene, Texas with her husband, where they are currently stationed in the Air Force. Last week she told me that a pipe burst in their home from the severe temperatures, causing their living room to flood, destroying their carpet. “My situation wasn’t as bad as others,” she says, “We only had our pipes freeze and bust and then flooded our house, which was hard. Our water was out for two days. Thankfully we had heat and power.” She went on to tell me, “There have been people I know that have gone two plus weeks without power and/or water. It’s extremely devastating.”
When asked if they were prepared for the snow she told me, “Honestly we had no idea how bad it was going to get. We hadn’t even gone grocery shopping yet. We didn’t even get to eat dinner for two nights because we needed to go grocery shopping and couldn’t. One of our friends had a case of water and gave it to us.”
It is clear Texas is suffering from this snow and are trying to get back on their feet. My friend said her and her husband are doing better now and said the Air Force was coming this week to replace her destroyed carpets. I ended the interview by thanking her and giving my best wishes to her and her husband, since this all has been so devastating. This first-hand look, I believe, shows how severe several inches of snow can be to a place that never experiences it. It’s important that the people of Texas get the help they need, in order to get back on their feet and fully recover.