Jo Zapata/Contributing Writer
It was a dark and stormy night…
Straight-line winds broke trees and power poles, plunging all of Jefferson, Marshall, and Vivian into total blackout. Gone were streetlights, security lights, homelights. No sounds of air conditioning, TVs, or music. Fear rose as we found ourselves living in a pre-electric world.
The heat was nearly unbearable! Ice became a luxury. Food spoiled in dead refrigerators and freezers. Heat exhaustion was taking down the vulnerable. Folks who relied on medical machines suffered the most. What could be done?
Well, a LOT was done! Neighbors helped neighbors. Brookshires gave out ice. Those with grills bought charcoal and everyone cooked food that would have spoiled. People took turns going for ice, charcoal, and foods that had to be fresh like milk, bread, eggs, etc. Coolers were filled with ice to keep these items cold.
People who had generators helped those that didn’t, even taking some into their homes to be in front of fans.
There were cooling stations at both the Jefferson Visitor’s Center and the Marshall Convention Center. People could use them to go cool off, charge their phones and tablets, even receive meals.
Here a just a fraction of the stories of survival and community:
Mike
Being hot while trying to sleep was terrible!
We had to go to the edge of Caddo Lake to get water to flush toilets. No way to wash dishes, so they piled up. All our food spoiled because we didn’t get a generator in time. We had a full bottle of propane to cook some of the food with. We syphoned gas out of the truck to fuel the generator. Then the power came back on, and the truck needed fuel!!!
I kept flipping light switches even though still holding a flashlight!
Sunshyne
We went and got charcoal and grilled food so it wouldn’t go bad from the freezer. Some folks had propane grills and everyone came together and fed anyone that was hungry. It didn’t matter what color race or socioeconomic background, we all were fighting to survive. People came together like never seen down here.
Thee
We all just pulled together and helped everyone in praise to the Man.
Jo/Jose
We had a generator to power enough for fridge and freezer and some fans. Used LED and oil lanterns for light. We had internet so kept up on news, emails.
We have a propane grill with a side burner that we used for cooking basic things. The heat was the worst. All the windows were open, so there was a good cross breeze and the fans. It was awesome, if a bit annoying, to hear the very loud tree frogs outside our windows!
Naomi
My neighbor is elderly and disabled. She couldn’t use her breathing machine. Home health care checked on her frequently.
My dog, Solita, had crazy diarrhea from the heat. Glad I had running water and paper towels! Poor baby…
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In all, Marion County did what Marion County does best: Come together to help our neighbors and those in need despite what our own personal needs may be.