Power Down– Spirits High

In mid-September of 2021, Tropical Storm Nicholas began brewing along the coast of Texas. While the storm was slow and erratic, it gradually reached 75 mile an hour winds and was a Category 1 hurricane when it made landfall at near peak intensity. The storm brought with it heavy rainfall and power outages that effected over 500,000 Texans leaving an estimated 33% of Galveston County without power.

Despite their prep to ready the building and residents for the brewing storm, Bayview in La Porte, an Affordable Housing community that houses over 60 residents, found themselves without power. The staff knew they needed to take action to keep residents cool, provide power for those on oxygen and figure out a way to feed everyone.    

The residents began contributing food from their own pantries and soon, they had enough food to make grilled cheese sandwiches, beans, and chicken noodle soup on griddles and hot plates for all. Residents even helped deliver the thrown together meal door-to-door to their neighbors. The team also got portable air conditioners and generators to make sure everyone was comfortable and cared for.

As the sun began to set, the power was still out prompting the team to set up a plan to take shifts through the night checking on the well-being of the residents.  Twenty and a half hours later the ordeal was finally over but the gratitude from the shared experience has been long lasting.  

Pictured: Standing: from left to right: Alice Gonzales, Jason Ochoa, Erica Ysaguirre, Zachary Hodson, and Carol Mercer. Seated from left to right: Sally Munos and Amanda Goode

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