“Run, run, the sky is falling” – Chicken Little

That just about sums up the past week here, doesn’t it?

Before you get your knickers in a wad and get mad at me,
please understand that I am not diminishing the problems, deaths or injuries
that anyone affected by the blizzard conditions that were experienced here in
Texas last week.

I truthfully realize that a lot of people suffered hardships
and financial losses. People got hurt and yes, some people died. It was a mess
for over a week and a lot of our citizens are still trying to recover.

But, lets look at a few facts.

Number one, we were told to get ready for the coldest
weather in this part of the country in 122 years.

That should have warned us to take some precautions.

Water freezes at 32 degrees. You know that, right? If not,
why didn’t you know that?

If the weather forecast is for temperatures to be in the low
teens, then did you not think your outside water pipes and plants needed to be
protected? Your dog will freeze as well, did you think to bring him/her inside?

If the hardware stores were sold out of insulation materials
(as they were) could you not use blankets, towels, old shirts, newspapers,
magazines to wrap your pipes to keep them from freezing and then bursting? You didn’t
have anything to tie them with? Did you have any belts or string or tape or
strips of cloth? This was the perfect time to get rid of that God awful
bedspread your Aunt Mable gave you for your wedding.

Did you think to fill the bathtubs and sinks with water
while you could? Even if you had electricity and the pump stations didn’t, you
might not get any water from them.

Could you not pour water from the tub into the toilet to
flush it?

If you didn’t have enough water to waste on flushing, could
you not just poop in a box and sit it outside?

If you thought your power was going to be off for days (as
it was) did you not think about digging out your old ski or hunting or extra
clothes which could help keep you warm? Maybe you don’t hunt or ski, but you
have lots of clothes you could wear. We all have extra clothes that we can
layer on and wear. It might not be stylish but who cares? It was not a photo
opportunity; it was a storm. The object is to survive and be able to talk about
it.

I will not freeze.

Did you know where candles or flashlights were kept?

If your power is off and you can’t charge your cell phone,
or look at Facebook or your Twitter feed, the world is not going to end. You
will survive. Trust me on this. Read a book, life isn’t just what you see on
television or on the internet. Play some games, do a puzzle..Talk to each
other. You might learn something about your spouse or kids you did not know.

I was in a major storm in Mexico, years back….stuck in a hotel,
no power, no water for a couple of days. We cut up paper and made dominoes and
playing cards. We survived.

I read where several people were about to lose their minds
because McDonalds had to close. Did you not have anything to eat at all in your
house? If push came to shove, I could open a can (manual can opener) and eat
cold beans or soup or something. You can do the same.

I will not starve.

Look I get the fact that a lot of people might not have gone
through this kind of thing before and perhaps did not have the money or
resources to stay safe.

But look around our state, we have stories of people
everywhere helping others that were in need.

We had shelters and food banks set up to help out those who
needed assistance.

Our state is not equipped with the necessary infrastructure
or materials to deal with a storm of this nature.

You folks up north or in Canada can survive in this, we have
a hard time doing so,

But we need to go back and do a self-review and a
self-analysis for what events might be in store for us later on.

We have hurricanes, we lose power and water in those as
well. The stores might be closed as well.

Shouldn’t this experience make you want to give some serious
thought about how to be prepared for the next disaster before it arrives?

Perhaps by giving some serious thought as to how you can be
better prepared, you might be able to help someone who needs some assistance.

It’s what we do in Texas.

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