In case you have all forgotten, Northern Arkansas was hit extremely hard by the same storm. However, in our area, people dug in and helped their neighbors and didn’t sit on their a$$ waiting for the local government, FEMA or national guard to show up and ask what they could do for ME! I went 5 days without power but, as a former member of the US Military, I had emergency plans. I had purchased a kerosene heater and sealed jugs of kerosene 10 years ago and finally got to use them. Was warm, able to cook food, and with loss of telephone land lines had cell phones to communicate with. And yes, our areal looks like a tornado hit, but without houses and business destroyed. Over 3000 power poles down and 700 miles of high voltage wire on the ground in Baxter County alone. Electrical crews showed up from all around the South to put us back on line electrically.
“However, in our area, people dug in and helped their neighbors and didn’t sit on their a$$ waiting for the local government, FEMA or national guard to show up and ask what they could do for ME!...”
Yep! The local news (Springfield,Mo)kept showing stoic ol’ hillbillies shruggin’ it off with “Well, we got a woodstove, an’ can goods, we’ll be alright.” Everybody was trying to do what they could to help their neighbors.
Maybe it’s an almost non-story because of the self reliance.
We got thru it alright too. But we didn’t get as much ice as y’all did in Baxter Co.
Does 10 year old kerosene still burn? Just kidding, I have some, too, along with lots of deep cycle batteries that are swapped out every six years or so. Glad things worked out.