A prolonged viral attack usually comes with a warning, even though its initial outbreak may be a surprise. This was the case with COVID-19, a pulmonary infection quietly originating in China before exploding into a pandemic which has devastated our society, now and for the future. Similar conditions pertain to another event, one that might be designated as “Snovid-21.” The difference is: COVID-19 starts with a fever, Snovid-21 with a freeze.
This climatic attack began quietly on the long weekend celebrating both Valentine’s Day and Presidents’ Day, i.e., February 14 and 15, 2021. The ground in Houston, Texas, became white with snow; the air was frigid with temperatures below 10o – conditions extremely strange for the Gulf Coast. Conditions which lasted for seven days of woeful existence. Almost a month later, calamities which arrived with the cold-air-mass remain. Some wonder when they will be healed. After all, the results of Harvey can still be seen four years later.
Unlike a physiological viral attack, Snovid-21 actually began as a beautiful event. Although the weather forecasts predicted at least six inches of snow, an unheard-of occurrence for Houston, the visible covering was only an inch high, but still impressive, around the neighborhoods of Eagle’s Trace. The grass, sidewalks, and roads became a single surface of white. Roof tops changed from dull brown to sparkling brightness; their eaves remained covered with snow for an inordinately long interval, even after the ground, itself, was visible, once more.
For the first twenty-four hours, children of all ages, along with doting, laughing parents, constructed snowmen a couple of feet high – an improbable edifice for this part of the country. Some may have even tried to construct a snow-angel, even though the results would not be as durable as those seen in the north. Although the snowmen may have remained for days longer than would have been possible after previous snowfalls in Houston, the beauty of the event was short-lived.
The unusual cold air seized the south to a degree similar to that of the grip of a pulmonary virus on human lungs. Pipes froze. Pipes outside and inside. In homes and in businesses. Eagle’s Trace had its abundant share of water gushing from wounds in all of its buildings, in its ceilings and walls. Just as medical teams operating ventilators are required for the life of patients infected with COVID-19, maintenance teams roamed the corridors of Eagle’s Trace to operate growling pumps and industrial fans to “remediate” the moisture which, if left unattended, would lead to the growth of mold and to the ultimate un-livability our apartments. Just as “mitigation” has become the new word for attention to the concerns of COVID-19 patients, “remediation” has arrived to attend to Snovid-21 victims.
The water pressure in Houston fell dramatically. Lines were turned off. When pressure was restored, the city’s residents, including those of Eagle’s Trace, were instructed to boil water to be used for drinking and tooth-brushing. Parts of our facility were without water for several days; our own building, Pecan Grove, was waterless for only twenty-four hours. Bottled water for consumption was available; fluid for flushing toilets was not. In describing the results to our grandchildren, once the conditions had improved, I said that the fragrance of my bathroom had brought back vivid memories of the outhouse on my grandmother’s farm. One of my grandsons asked for an explanation of what I meant by an “outhouse.” I told him. I was also pleased to say that the dedicated staff of Eagle’s Trace had tried to “mitigate” the situation by bringing a bucket of water from the swimming pool to allow for one flush during the height of the turn-off.
In addition to the lack of water, completely for a time and undrinkable for several days, we were without electricity for a day, but only a day. Our two sons in north-Houston had to rely on their own generators, which they had thankfully purchased for previous, more routine post-hurricane outages. At least, we had access to the elevators functioning on ET’s own generators.
Without water and electricity, meals were not available in the local dining facilities. Nevertheless, the committed staff brought a daily meal to each apartment. The entrees were limited, but more than sufficient for survival. Once more, Karen and I agreed we had made the “right decision” sixteen years ago to move to this particular retirement community.
As had been the instruction for COVID-19, to take-cover-in-place to limit the spread of the virus, we were now urged to hunker-down during the days following this initial freezing weather. Traffic in Houston is notoriously dangerous at such times. Fortunately, with even more businesses closed because of Presidents’ Day, let alone because of the ongoing pandemic, it was easy for most citizens to comply with these instructions.
However, without electricity and access to a smart-phone, Karen and I could not use the normal electronic alternatives to keep us occupied. Reading next to a window was one available option. Another one was to catch catnaps in a comfortable chair, while surrounded with a cozy blanket. The only problem with either recommendation was that my EZ-boy recliner needs external power to lower the leg-rest. It’s a challenge to get into or out of the chair when it remains in a reclining position. During one fifteen-second return of power, I was able to readjust my recliner for a more comfortable position. Karen’s operates, fortunately for her, with a built-in auxiliary battery. On the other hand, I was lucky that when our power was lost during the middle of the night, my adjustable bed was in a flat position. Hers was not.
Having only a non-functioning recliner to deal with, I was very fortunate while under attack by Snovid-21. Many other Texans have suffered so much more from this onslaught. People throughout the state have much to complain about regarding ERCOT’s mismanaged electric grid. Others still have non-potable water. Many have homes which will be under “remediation” for months, if not years.
Within the last weeks, three anti-viral drugs have been approved for use toward the prevention of COVID-19. Karen and I, along with some eleven hundred people affiliated with Eagle’s Trace, have been vaccinated. On the other hand, there is no vaccine available to ward off another Snovid-21 attack, should one come again. It is said that our frigid weather in this part of the country is a one-hundred-year event. They have said the same thing about our floods, which now appear annually! One hundred years pass more quickly than they once did.