The Blizzard of 2009

The Blizzard of 2009

Big events in our lives often etch themselves into our memories. I have a feeling that for many, this years’ Christmas Eve snow storm will be one of those memories. It sure was a bad one. Down here in our part of the world, it was not so much the volume of snow, but the wind driven drifts that seemed to cause the most problems. In fact, as I am writing this I am driving East on Highway 7 looking at four to five foot drifts that make you think you are in the panhandle. Many were left without power and some without water which made for numerous “old fashioned” Christmases. The kind that make great memories and great stories, but the living of them was pretty brutal. We were very fortunate at our place because we never lost power although it was always in the back of my mind, knowing that at any moment the wind or the snow could snap a line, or any such malfunction, and leave us in the dark or the cold. Many in Southwest Oklahoma were not so lucky and did without water and power. When both those services are gone, you have to get pretty resourceful. We were ready with propane heaters and firewood and kerosene lamps but, again, we were the lucky ones.

There were even some heroes from this event. Can you imagine being a lineman for an electric co-op or the municipal guys that had to get out on Christmas day and even when it was blowing on Christmas Eve to try to restore power. What about those guys? Unbelievable. But, when you think about it, those guys’ jobs are usually most important at the worst of times and under extremely brutal conditions. But, they bundle up and they start their trucks and they go. Our whole area owes an enormous debt of gratitude to those willing to do that job.

It seems like major weather events always stick with us. For many, this will be one of those lifetime events. It will be the Christmas without electricity or the Christmas without water. It will be remembered for years. I remember as a young child, the blizzard of 1968. I was seven years old and I remember, to a little kid that much snow was unheard of in Oklahoma. In fact, we laughed for many years at home movies at my little toddler sister who would try to walk and then just give up and sit in the snow drifts. It was one of those major events.

Unfortunately, the blizzard of 2009 will be an unhappy memory for the family of Steve Hankins because as I write this article, I just left his funeral. He was only 50 years old. I had gotten to know Steve in college and he was a year ahead of me at Cameron University. He was just a good guy; the kind of guy that spent a lot of time helping others. In fact, the last time I saw Steve was just recently at the Fall Classic Pig Show in Duncan. He was cooking for the Central High FFA in what they jokingly called “The Road Kill Café”. I remember sampling some of his world-famous smoked ribs. Steve’s parents, Don and Rhonda Hankins, are very active with the state Farm Bureau. They are just a good, rural family that did a lot for other people. Unfortunately, their tragedy will always stick in their minds when someone talks about the blizzard of ’09.

Mother Nature has a way of showing us who’s boss from time to time. She can be wonderful or she can be mean. As we know all too well in Oklahoma, she can turn on ya in an instant. It reminds me of the old commercials that used to be on TV years ago about Chiffon Margarine. Mother Nature would be pleasant and the sun would be shining. Then, when someone would try to put Chiffon Margarine on a piece of bread, the sky would darken and the lightning would strike and she would say "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature!" Well, she came with vengeance on Christmas Eve and she showed us that no matter how in control we think we are, Mother Nature is totally in control. Whether your holiday blizzard kept you huddled around a fireplace with your family, or whether it found you in a snow bank on the highway, we will all remember the blizzard of ’09.

If you would like to contact me while I am at the capitol, please do not hesitate to send an email to donarmes@house.gov or call me at 1-800-522-8502.

And here’s a little something to think about as you go down the road:

“One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.”- William Shakespeare