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AT HOME WITH KAYLA PRICE 2/3: Ten Things I Learned From the 2023 Ice Storm

AT HOME WITH KAYLA PRICE 2/3: Ten Things I Learned From the 2023 Ice Storm
  • PublishedFebruary 3, 2023


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Ten Things I Learned From the 2023 Ice Storm

I can’t recall experiencing an ice storm the magnitude of what we just went through.  It was beautiful in its starkness, and the cracking of the icy limbs in the wind was eerie.   It wasn’t until a day or two later when the snapping of the broken limbs seemed to echo around me before I realized it was not an echo, but rather trees limbs falling from all directions.

During the week I learned lots about myself and lots of things I needed to know or be reminded of.  Here is a recap:

  1. Keep all chargers charged because you just never know when you will be without power for days.
  2. When your generator breaks, get it repaired or replaced immediately.
  3. Never let your car’s gas tank, nor your propane tank, go below half full.
  4. A cell phone flashlight does work at night to flag down an Oncor repair man.  However, hollering “sparks” and “smoke” at a convoy of repairmen does not get them to stop.  They will just hoot and holler back at you.
  5. Full freezers of food last longer without power than half empty ones.
  6. My middle-age body doesn’t bounce when it falls on ice.
  7. Being without power for one day can be fun, but by the third day it grows old.
  8. Suede, waterproof Blondo boots are also mud proof and clean up well.  But the Oncor guy’s work boots are not mud proof.
  9. Archie, my West Highland White Terrier, doesn’t care for coats, boots or ice-covered grass.
  10. The kindest people in the world live in Hopkins County.  Neighbors offering warm food, hot showers, and a place to sleep with heat warmed my heart more than my gas logs.  Then there were the three guys who showed up to push my stuck car out of the mud and wouldn’t allow me to pay them for their help.  And the sweet co-worker who checked on me and gather me and my belongings up from the sidewalk after I wiped out on the ice.   And my dear niece-in-law who happily and bravely joined me for all of the ice storm antics.

I think we all know what a special place Hopkins County is, but this week was a reminder of the generosity and selflessness of our fellow residents.  Thank you to anyone who lent a helping hand to a friend, neighbor, or stranger.  I am pretty sure that if we work together, our community can make it through anything.

Read more: https://kaylaprice.com/

Watch more: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqmOAZ8g5R2zP_WlMw6b6Fw

Contributed by Kayla Price

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Written By
Taylor Nye

Taylor Nye is the editor of Front Porch News. She has degrees from the University of Wisconsin in human biology, Latin American studies, and public health. She has previously worked at the Wisconsin State Journal, Tucson Weekly and Sulphur Springs News-Telegram. As a sixth generation Hopkins County resident, she loves celebrating our heritage and history.