Help at an hour of need

The rising sun tops the ridgeline in Woodstock, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

Even during the severest of challenges, when hardship impacts so many, Americans step up for their neighbors. That was evident during a recent effort when two Texans facilitated free deliveries of food and other supplies for their neighbors, during the state’s severe emergency caused by the winter storm, outages and water shortages. 

Debra Crawford Davis and Megan Johnston started Facebook groups for Anderson County and Grayson County, respectively, to help with communication about who needs help, what was open and what the weather was doing, according to CNN. It was coordination when their community needed it most.

"We are a small town, but we're a close town," Crawford Davis said of Palestine in Anderson County, in a CNN interview. "We're able to see the good in one another and come together for the greater good."

That project has been one of many acts of kindness amid this crisis. There were also reports of people helping each other by sharing a generator, for example, or opening their homes to others looking for alternate shelter from the extreme temperatures. In Manor, a suburb near Austin, Starla Everett welcomed her neighbors, Adrian and Gina Escajeda, into her home to warm up. The couple’s house had dropped to minus-6 degrees inside, and without power and water service for most of last week. They remained at Everett’s place for a couple of nights. Adrian Escajeda was inspired by his neighbor at a time when supplies for everyone were low.

"It is so amazing to know that even in times of need — and knowing the grocery stores are closed — people would still open their homes and offer their food," he said.

In Texas, wider efforts are underway to help on a regional level. Water distribution sites have been set up around the state, the PBS NewsHour reported Sunday, and more than 2 million bottles of water had been distributed around the state as of Saturday. FEMA and other federal partners are leading the continued efforts on deliveries at this important time. Hunger is another key issue now, with many store shelves empty after disruptions to the food supply during the storm. At height, the storm left 4.5 million people in Texas without power.

By Monday, many Texans had seen power restored to their homes, and temperatures in major cities like Austin, Dallas and San Antonio reached above 65 degrees. The fallout from the storm’s impacts heated up as well, as the outcry grew over sky-high electric bills many people received. Some increased by thousands of dollars, mainly due to the state’s unregulated energy market, according to the PBS NewsHour’s Monday report. Speaking to the media, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick promised the state would find a solution to the issue. As of Monday evening, water-boil advisories remained in effect for 8.8 million Texans.

The recovery from this historic weather event will be a complex one. During the process, hopefully the heartfelt, community support will continue to spread and be of some comfort at this time of need and loss. It’s not a stretch to imagine this will be another time that will be recorded in Americans’ tradition of helping each other when it matters most, which has been a theme of the past year as well. That love and support remains, and it can uplift us even in our darkest, most impossible hours. For each other, we can — and will — be strong.

— Gareth Henderson

Winter Storm Uri closing in on New England

Woodstock Village after a storm earlier this month. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

Widespread winter weather has broken snowfall records across the country, and Winter Storm Uri is now heading to New England, where snow and ice is expected to begin early Tuesday. 

Not all areas are due for tons of snow on Tuesday, but forecasters are warning about snow and ice mixing on the roads in many parts of the Northeast region. In Vermont, the higher snowfall is expected to be in the north, with much of the state, including the Woodstock area, getting 6 to 12 inches. Some southern areas may see less than 6. The farther south you go, the more ice on the roads will be the main issue, said Tyler Jankoski of MyNBC5. 

“The heavy snow and sleet is for all of us in the northern half of the region, with that icing south,” Jankoski said. 

A winter storm warning was in effect from 7 p.m. Monday through 7 p.m. for most of Vermont, with 1 to 2 inches of snow falling per hour between midnight and 7 a.m.

What’s coming is the culmination of what’s been an epic weather event elsewhere in the U.S. On Monday afternoon, communities from the Rio Grande to the Saint Lawrence River were under winter weather advisories, and about 3 million people were without power. Most of those were in Texas, where traffic in every major city ground to a halt because of snow. 

“I want to encourage people to stay home, to stay off the roads,” said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner at a press briefing.

Oklahoma City, which also had record snowfall, had endured five-straight days of 25-degree temperatures, and states across the Plains have recorded record-low temperatures as well. The weekend brought 11 inches of snow to Seattle, breaking that city’s snowfall record for February. 

As of 4 p.m. Monday, over half of the U.S. population remained under winter weather advisories. 

Vermont’s COVID-19 vaccination clinics will remain open on Tuesday, but people wishing to reschedule their appointment due to the weather are asked to call 855-722-7878.

In the Green Mountains, the storm is expected to largely subside by noon on Tuesday, and sunshine and 25 degrees is in the forecast for Wednesday.

— Gareth Henderson