Photos from the scene, and links for how our community can help
Cold Cows, Texas Hill Country: Harper, TX - Photo Credit: Bryan Donoghue
85 degrees and sunny in Austin, Texas yesterday - a far cry from the subzero temperatures terrorizing the city just one week earlier. The ice may have melted, but the problems remain. The infrastructure issues made painfully obvious by the worst storm to hit the area in 72 years have kept many without power and water even a week after the storm has passed. In many cases, those fortunate enough to have their utilities back in working order still must boil water prior to consumption to eliminate the contaminants resulting from damaged plumbing. And as so often happens, low-income and other marginalized communities have been disproportionately impacted by this disaster, and continue to feel the effects a week after the last snowflake has fallen.
For many across Texas, even as services return to normal, life remains anything but. Flooding and collapsed roofs caused by bursting pipes have left hundreds of families without homes. Many stores remain closed due to power or water concerns, leaving supplies low and shelves barren in the businesses that were actually able to open back up. Reports of companies not paying employees (or forcing them to use PTO) for time lost due to the storm are beginning to surface. Profiteering by power companies whose ill-preparedness contributed to this disaster in the first place could leave both residential and commercial customers with bankruptcy-inducing electricity bills. Predatory vultures are swooping in with new scams designed to take advantage of desperate people looking for relief. Just because the temperatures have risen doesn’t mean the outlook has as well for a significant number of Texans.
Gallery of Texas snow, from Houston to Austin to El Paso - (scroll to see more photos)
Photo Credit: Bryan Donoghue & Pete Legasey
We here at Pathloom love the great state of Texas, and recognize that the good citizens of that state don’t deserve to face the adversity they’ve gone through, and are continuing to experience. We encourage anyone in our community to help if they are able to do so, and with that in mind we’ve compiled a list of some resources and agencies dedicated to helping those afflicted by Winter Storm Uri weather the aftermath of the storm. Please see below for our list, and do not hesitate to reach out to info@pathloom.com if there are any links we should add.
Stay strong, Texas! For years we in the North have gone South to escape the frigid climes for outdoor adventures during the winter - we’re sorry that this time, the cruel winter went South as well.
Just a totally normal Texas Snowman: Austin, TX - Photo Credit: Pete Legasey
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