Record breaking winter weather in Texas

 For the first 17 years of my life, I lived in Wyoming.  Approximately half the state is mountains covered in lodgepole pine forest and the other half is high plains desert.  Most of the state is more than a mile above sea level.  It's cold and snowy in the winter (Sept.-Apr.) and mild in the summer with a few weeks of HOT (>90 F) daytime temperatures.

For most of my childhood, my parents were part of the Casper Mountain Volunteer Ski Patrol at Hogadon, our local ski area.  Approximately half of the weekends of winter were spent cruising the slopes with my friends and parents.  I was about 3 years old when I learned to ski.  By the time I was in late elementary school, I was pretty good at it and felt confident that I could safely get down pretty much any slope that most ski areas had.  

My dad was a regional ski and toboggan instructor for ski patrol for a few years, so he, my mom, and I would frequently visit other ski areas in Montana and Wyoming.  It was a great adventure!  Occasionally, the weather was terrible, so mom and I would just drink hot chocolate all day in the ski lodge or hotel, but that was rare.  Most of the time, we got all bundled up and went out anyway, even if it meant we needed to come in after each run.

I learned to dress in layers.  I learned how to have fun in nature, even when nature didn't really want to cooperate.  I learned how to feel safe in my surroundings, even when they were inhospitable.

Currently, my friends who reside in Texas are experiencing an unprecedented weather event.  Texas, especially central and south Texas, is a place where people from "up north" usually go to escape cold weather in the winter, but the past week has brought freezing rain, below freezing temperatures, and snow to every county in the state!  Because Texas is usually a warm place, very few people are prepared for such conditions, and it's putting a huge strain on the infrastructure there, too.  Pipes are freezing and bursting, more than 3 million people have been without electricity for multiple days, cities have had to shut off water supplies due to unreliable electricity.  The greater Austin metro area is ALL under a boil water notice for the foreseeable future.

Watching this event unfold, I'm reminded that I never had to deal with such things as a homeowner.  The home I grew up in had more insulation and lower ceilings than the house we shared with our Texas family.  It had a fireplace with vent fans so the house could be heated with wood if we lost power.  My mom made sure that we always had candles and oil lamps and matches for light.  We had cast iron and camp cookware in case we needed to use wood heat to cook with.  We had a pantry that was always full and more than one freezer.  We had quilts and afghans and electric blankets.

Here's what I can do:

I can PREPARE our family.  I can stock our pantry and make sure we have the tools we need to deal with such things.  Here's a link to what is recommended.  I think that's a good start.

I can GIVE to those in need right now by donating to charities that are already in the area helping out. The link will take you to a list of organizations that serve the homeless in Austin. 

I can PRAY.  As a Christ-follower, I believe that God is in charge and answers the pleas of God's children.  I believe that God loves us all and wants what is good for us.  I view emergencies as a team building exercise, a chance for us to show our humanity and work together for the greater good of ALL.  I think it's imperative that those of us with many resources use them to provide aid to those with few resources.

I can check in with my friends and family in the area.  I can call or text or message or send them snail mail (though it may take a few extra days to arrive).  I can let them know that they're not alone and give them a bit of encouragement.

We can endure and persevere.  It's a lot easier to do so when we know we have support.