Sunday night’s destructive weather disproved the theory that tornadoes only hit trailer parks. From mega-commercial buildings along Harry Hines, Fire Department 41 at Preston and Royal to Preston Hollow mansions’ manicured grounds, the storms took no mercy, leaving thousands without power — or roofs over their heads.
One person, who hunkered down in his bathroom, admitted, “It was just like you see in movies. It was silent and then a boom!”
However, there is an upside. Yes, stuff was decimated, but so far no lives were lost and the few injuries were not life-threatening. And there was a reason for that. It was because cellphones sounded alarms like irritated baby birds chirping for food while sirens howled throughout the area’s neighborhoods.
Another important factor was that people heeded the warnings. The night manager of the Home Depot at Forest and Central not only got his customers out of the building, but also sent his employees home half an hour before the store was destroyed. Imagine if he hadn’t… no, don’t go down that road.
Suggestion: If you were one of those not hit by the storm, use your noggin and think of ways to help those who are in recovery mode. What about offering to
- cancel or postpone any events that you’ve scheduled for the immediate future. For instance, the Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary is postponing tonight’s luncheon kick-off event and Tuesday night’s Texas Women’s Foundation’s patron party has been cancelled. Now is a time to heal.
- babysit a friend’s child(ren) or elder family member, while they’re trying to get to their insurance representatives and get to the bottom of their loss.
- take on some extra work for a staffer who can’t make it in to work.
- have some overnight guests for a couple of days until they get their POA in place.
- buy batteries for those who are without electricity.
BTW, if you’re in need of ice and your local grocery story is totally out, check Emergency Ice at 972.988.0577. No, MSC gets no kick \back for this suggestion, but this company delivers large quantities of ice 24/7. So, why not get an order for your neighborhood if it looks like the refrigerators and freezers will be down for the count for a few days.