Last week, Texans faced a horrid winter storm that left them paralyzed. Power grid failures followed by the pipe burst and lack of water to the shortage of food left people in the Lone Star State struggling with the necessities. This week, as the condition has improved and the weather forecast shows warm signs, the people of Texas face a dreading task: recovering from the storm. 

Ibadat Javed ’22, whose home lies in Dallas, TX, recalled the past week. “At first I received a lot of photos and videos from my close friends who were all enjoying the snow, sledding, making snowmen, and enjoying winter activities that we’re not normally able to participate in during a normal Texas winter,” she said. “However, as the storm progressed, it became obvious that it was dangerous and a lot more serious.” 

According to Javed, some houses did not have power for multiple days in a row, so their homes were freezing. “I also know of some close family friends whose houses flooded because pipes burst in their basement,” she said. “Thankfully, my family is doing well.” 

Javed expressed her worries and also sadness as the storm played out, “It’s hard for me because I can only hear the events taking place from far away and not being able to help.” Her reflection is relatable to a lot of Texans who were unable to home due to schools or COVID-19 circumstances. Nghiem, a Vietnamese who currently lives in Texas, shared his condition on Facebook, “A whole day without electricity in Texas for two million people, including yours truly. 2021 makes 2020 look like a great year!” 

NY Times writer Jack Healy, though did not explicitly agree with Nghiem, suggested that the winter storm added burden to Texans in his article on Feb. 22. “Millions of Texans whose health and finances were already battered by a year of Covid-19 now face a grinding recovery from a storm estimated to cost upward of $20 billion, the costliest in state history, according to the Insurance Council of Texas.” Healy also said that a new surge of patients was arriving, putting a strain on the already exhausted health workers. 

Help was on the way to Texans when the storm struck hardest. President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency, allowing people in more than 100 counties in Texas to apply for federal assistance, according to Lauren Lee for CNN. The aid includes temporary housing, home repair, and low-cost loans to help with the recovery process. Additionally, organizations such as Salvation Army, American Red Cross, and Mercy Chefs are among a long list of groups that are offering immediate help to the community. Federal Emergency Management Agency or FEMA, also a spearhead in assisting the Texas communities during this time, has a toll-free line at 1-800-621-3362 for people to apply for assistance or check application status.

The Texas winter storm with its immense toll brought up many important lessons such as the importance of self-reliance and community tie. Above all, it prompted those around the country to start thinking about the significance of climate change. Though climate scientists suggest that events of this scale, frigid winters to scorching summers, will likely occur again in the future, Texans walked away from this storm with knowledge. Its aftermath allowed them to start thinking critically about their role in the fight to slow down climate change’s impact. Javed put it eloquently, “the tragedy in Texas is devastating, but it’s going to motivate people to take climate change seriously and make more of an effort to tackle the issues.”