As the city woke up Thursday morning to the aftermath of the worst ice storm to hit the region since 2007, there was a scene of utter devastation.
Collapsed utility poles.
Trees split down the center.
Power lines on the ground.
Thousands of customers without electricity, including major big-box retailers and other chains. Gas stations out of fuel, with long lines for the remaining pumps.
“I’ve never seen anything like this in my lifetime,” said District 1 Councilman Gerald Anderson. “It’s almost like a tornado came through Taylor the way the trees are snapped in half.”
“The entire city is severely devastated,” said Robert Garcia, District 4 councilman. “I had to go get my daughter this morning and there were power lines down from here to Round Rock.”
And yet, even as Mayor Brandt Rydell was issuing a disaster declaration for the city Wednesday evening, the people already had begun stepping in to do their part.
STREET CLEANUPS
From the get-go, individuals, as well as nonprofit organizations, such as the Austin Disaster Relief Network, Taylor Area Ministerial Alliance, and other agencies were out on the streets helping the city’s public utility crews by clearing fallen tree limbs.
“I just was going through streets trying to help people clear the debris off the streets tree limbs, and I ran into (Williamson County Precinct 4) Constable Paul Leal and a guy named Darren Helbert and someone else that works in Jeff’s Resurrections, and we were all out there doing the same thing,” Anderson said. “We helped clear Smith Street for a few blocks to try to give people access to get up and down the street, and I see a lot of that going on where people are out there trying to help each other get trees cut and limbs cut.”
Garcia said he worked for several days assisting the streets, water and parks departments, who were working hard to get things back to normal.
“For all three departments, they know that the community is depending on them, and they are in high spirits because they know that they are making a difference in the community,” Garcia said. “What we are doing is clearing paths, . . . so Oncor doesn’t have to clear a street to get to where they need to go. We are trying to make getting electricity quicker and trying to make sure first responders can get to people.”
ELECTRICAL SERVICE REPAIR Oncor spokesman Andy Morgan said the electrical utility had mobilized an army of employees, contractors and even personnel from outside the region and state, who were working around the clock to help get power back on for their customers.
“Oncor employees, our local contractors as well as mutual assistance personnel started coming in yesterday and overnight,” Morgan said Feb. 2. “They are working on these outages. They worked all night, and they are going to work all day. They are working 16-hour shifts, around the clock. We had about 1,000 utility workers yesterday from other Texas utilities, as well as other states.”
While crews were working around the clock to get our lights back on, Morgan said it was not yet possible to put a timeline on when things will be back to normal.
SHELTERING AND FEEDING PEOPLE During the storm, the city, along with several agencies and organizations, including St. James Episcopal Church, Crossroads Assembly of God, Christ Fellowship Church, the Bill Pickett Educational Foundation, Shepherd’s Heart Food Pantry and other agencies were working to provide food, shelter and warmth for dozens of individuals stranded in the elements. The Rev. Terry Pierce of St. James said the effort to place about 18 people in hotel rooms, for which the city agreed to fund up to $2,250 for hotel rooms, began before the storm began.
“We just added someone today, but we have been housing people all week,” Pierce said Feb. 2. “The city has been a great partner in assisting us by agreeing to provide some funding for us, and we always have a whole group of donors that we call upon, and they are very generous.”
“There are a number of other people who help with providing food, transporting people and it is an effort of the whole community,” Pierce added.
PEOPLE COME TOGETHER
While the severity of the storm surprised many people, the community’s response did not.
“You just realize that everyone is vulnerable at some point in time, it’s just luck of the draw, and right now there are people that have the money to pay their bills, pay their rent, but right now, we are all in the same boat at this point with no electricity,” Anderson said.
“It’s typical Taylor,” Anderson added. “When times get tough, we all come together. I am not surprised at all.”
