Snowmagedon 2021

As if this year hasn't been insane enough, Mother Nature decided to play a nasty trick on Texas and delivered a butt load of Canadian weather. It started out with a simple cold front that moved in around Valentine's Day. We had a smattering of snow; which closed schools and other nonessential businesses because Texas just isn't equipped to handle snow on roads.  But, what usually falls in the morning and melts by afternoon, quadrupled in amount and lasted for much longer! We ended up with a week of snow and ice, coupled with a failed power grid throughout Texas. Many, many people had to leave their homes and find shelter with friends or in warming stations. Hotels were filled to capacity; but, they too lost power and water! Homes and businesses had water pipes burst, which created flooding in many structures. Some schools has entire floors that were damaged, forcing schools to close yet again. 

Ron and I were greatly blessed. We never lost power, we didn't lose water, and our internet and phone service was adequate. Unfortunately, Leslie's family in Ft. Worth, had rolling power outages and ended up taking refuge in the smallest room in their house because it was the easiest one to keep warm. Rebecca said it really effected hospital personnel getting to and from work. She even volunteered to stay on site to help out. Seth hunkered down in his apartment after Ron did a quick supply drop off for him. Scott was able to continue getting to work by using our truck. I honestly think that massive thing would drive through a hurricane! Molly rode out the storm, working from home. And, luckiest of all, Jamie and Ryan got stranded at Disney in Florida because all flights into Texas were canceled.  In short, we came through with minimal inconveniences.

The community was really hit hard. As I mentioned, hospital personnel had trouble just getting to work. A friend of mine is an administrator at Scott and White. She sent out a public request for anyone with 4 wheel drive to volunteer to pick up medical personnel and transport them to the hospital. Scott said most fire fighters have trucks, etc. so they weren't hit as hard. But, his station was a flooded mess due to busted water pipes! They ended up taking their equipment and trucks to another station until the damage could be repaired.  Supply lines to grocery stores were impacted greatly! The shelves, which had finally started filling up after the initial COVID scarcity, were once again bare. Ron went in search of milk one day and ended up paying over $7 for a gallon at Natural Grocer's! 

Below are some of the pictures I took from either the front or back door of the town house. 

After our initial frosting of snow, the ice fell. It coated EVERYTHING!

The ice covered the sides of houses and cars, as well as the ground.

Even our down spout, froze solid with the small amount of run off we had when the initial snow started to melt.

Most plants were encased in ice. By the time everything thawed, so many were broken and destroyed.

After the ice fell, we started getting our second round of snow. 

Of course, the ice hadn't melted so the snow just covered it.

By evening, the snow had blown into the back patio.

It completely covered Boomer's toilet.

Ron and I were fairly well stocked, as far as groceries went. 
We have learned that we need to develop a taste for powdered milk.
$7.00 a gallon is just insane!

Through it all, friends and neighbors helped one another as much as they could. Facebook became the main form of communication about where food and water could be found. Fire stations, police stations, schools, and various businesses passed out food and water daily.  Ranchers in our area even got to work cutting wood and hauling trailer loads to specific lots in towns for free pick up by people with fireplaces. As I record this in August, it seems a little less nightmarish because of how Texans came together to help each other. 

The whole mess eventually melted after a week or so. Unfortunately, the damage recovery is still taking place. Many homes were ruined when foundations cracked, pipes burst, pools split, and flooding destroyed possessions. Our lawmakers are still debating who is to blame for the power grid failing; and, what can be done about it. 

One thing I know for certain; Texans are hardy folks. We learn from mistakes and prepare for the unexpected to become the new normal. As for my own family, they have all revisited their emergency supplies, food and water storage, and made some big ticket purchases like generators. But honestly, we all hope to never see a winter storm like that one again!