The Storm and Social Safety--Lauren Gallander, Priscilla Trejo, and Liet Bourbon
As Winter Storm Uri rolled into Texas, many people were faced with rapidly dropping temperatures and subsequent shortages of safe running water and power. However, the suffering that Texans underwent was not equally felt; those of low income and of color bore the brunt of the harsh externalities of the storm because of compounding structural imbalances. Inequalities, tied to class and race, meant that people of color and those facing poverty had less ability to adapt to the challenges of the storm.
To begin with, neighborhoods housing mostly Black and Hispanic residents tend to contain houses that are older, with poorer insulation, roofs, and pipes that drastically reduce their ability to withstand events of extreme weather. Additionally, electricity was kept on in neighborhoods that shared circuits with hospitals and other critical facilities, which are more likely to exist in affluent places. While some people could easily afford to flee their homes and travel to safer places like hotels, many were either unable to afford alternate accommodations or were tasked with making the difficult decision between draining their savings or seeking warmth and electricity. Those without access to cars or gasoline were often left without the option to leave their homes, as public transportation was shut down. The chain of food supply, as with the electric grid, collapsed under the storm’s strain, reducing the availability of both food and pharmacological products.
As severe weather conditions continued, entire infrastructure systems failed, and many people’s situations became more dire as the heat slowly drained from their homes, their food spoiled or ran out, and access to clean drinking water disappeared. Traditional sources of philanthropy that are widely considered to be the most helpful in mitigating crises, such as the Red Cross and the Salvation Army, were strangely absent in many narratives because of the limitations imposed by the aforementioned structural inequalities. The American Red Cross was engaged in aiding Texans, but they were limited to conventional responses that were deployed mostly from warming centers. The Salvation Army, according to their own press release, provided shelter and food to people throughout Texas, once again through the use of warming centers. These efforts, although undoubtedly present, were simply inaccessible to many people.
While it is important to acknowledge the circumstances that made the winter storm so devastating and the responses that were unfortunately inadequate, it is equally important to share the ways that people successfully adapted to the situation. Government and organized aid was sparse and often inaccessible, so people sought alternative solutions. The use of rapidly disseminated information through local news sources and social media facilitated communication and intra-community reliance using systems of mutual aid.
Mutual aid differs from more conventional philanthropy because it facilitates collaborative relationships, which allow people to receive what they need and give what they’re able. It can be utilized to fulfill immediate and specific needs, and is often provided directly, with no strings attached. Groups aim to help underserved communities directly, rather than relying on top-down methods of government assistance, which, as we saw during the storm, often arrive either too late or not at all. They can be run by people who are actually members of the communities that need to be served, which gives them an edge because they know firsthand the challenges being faced. Mutual aid efforts have been expedited and aided both by social media and by popular online donation platforms, such as PayPal, Venmo, and CashApp. Sites like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter allowed individuals to both seek and provide support, without the interference and bureaucracy of philanthropic organizations. People, regardless of their ability to access traditional forms of aid, were able to communicate their situation, what exactly would help them, and what they could offer to others in similar situations. While financial donations and contributions were an important aspect of the mutual aid that was most helpful during the storm, people were also connected with basic resources like fresh water, food, and transportation. Through effective community communication, facilitated by social media, social networks, and a spirit of reciprocity and giving, people took care of each other.
For more information about the winter storm and the aid that was provided, go to:
On the inequalities and circumstances of the storm: https://www.texastribune.org/2021/02/19/Texas-winter-storm-suffering-inequities/
On the resources that were distributed: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2021/02/15/how-to-help-how-get-food-shelter-resourcesduring-texas-winter-storm/4486821001/
On mutual aid during the storm: https://www.vox.com/the-goods/22289581/mutual-aid-helps-texas-storm
https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-02-18/ted-cruz-texas-mutual-aid-groups Works Cited Aldhous, Peter, Lee, Stephanie M., & Hirji, Zahra. (2021, May 26). “The Texas Winter Storm and Power Outages Killed Hundreds More People than the State Says.” BuzzFeed News. www.buzzfeednews.com/article/peteraldhous/texas-winter-storm-power-outage-death-toll .
Foster-Frau, Silvia, & Hernández, Arelis R. (2021, February 16). “Freezing Temperatures and Power Outages Hurt Texas’s Most Vulnerable yet Again.” The Washington Post. www.washingtonpost.com/national/texas-storm-hurts-most-vulnerable-again/2021/02/16/ fe3c8fd4-707b-11eb-93be-c10813e358a2_story.html?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm _medium=email&_hsmi=111556767&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--2SM-WYyUKyH-NBF0hlCmo gkI2YNw88ttaak-fAOmU6ZIlVMcmI85kfgAzufOG213PVmh3hwRclUOLmTwcfcEYP FFHOw&utm_content=111556767&utm_source=hs_email.
Garnham, Alexa Ura & Pablo, Juan. (2021, February 19). “Already Hit Hard by Pandemic, Black and Hispanic Communities Suffer the Blows of an Unforgiving Winter Storm.” The Texas Tribune. www.texastribune.org/2021/02/19/Texas-winter-storm-suffering-inequities/. Howell, Junia, & Elliot, James R. (2019). “Damages Done: The Longitudinal Impacts of Natural Hazards on Wealth Inequality in the United States.” Social Problems, Vol. 66 (3), 448-467. https://doi.org/10.1093/socpro/spy016.
Lee, Lauren. (2021, February 25). “How You Can Help Texas Winter Storm Victims.” CNN.
www.cnn.com/2021/02/17/us/texas-winter-storm-how-to-help-iyw-trnd/index.html. Martinez, Marissa. (2021, February 23). “Texans Used Mutual Aid to Help Their Communities through a Devastating Winter Storm.” The Texas Tribune. www.texastribune.org/2021/02/23/mutual-aid-texas-storm/. Menchaca, Megan. (2021, February 16). “How to Help and Get Help in Texas as the Winter Storm Causes Power Outages.” The Texas Tribune. www.texastribune.org/2021/02/16/texas-power-outage-help-warming-shelter/.
Nguyen, Terry. (2021, February 18). “In Crisis, Texans Are Turning toward Mutual Aid Networks.” Vox. www.vox.com/the-goods/22289581/mutual-aid-helps-texas-storm. O’Donnell, Amanda. (2021, February 15). “Here’s How to Get Help for Yourself or Others during Texas’ Historic Freeze.” Austin American-Statesman. www.statesman.com/story/news/2021/02/15/how-to-help-how-get-food-shelter-resources -during-texas-winter-storm/4486821001/.
Rahman, Tahera. (2021, February 17). “City Officials Say Warming Centers Need Staffing & Transportation Help.” KXAN Austin. www.kxan.com/news/local/city-officials-say-warming-centers-need-staffing-transportatio n-help/.
Roy, Jessica. (2021, February 19). “As Ted Cruz Travels, Mutual Aid Groups Are Stepping up in Texas.” Los Angeles Times. www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-02-18/ted-cruz-texas-mutual-aid-groups. Salvation Army. (2021, February 18). “Winter Storm 2021 National Media Release.” Salvation Army Texas. www.salvationarmytexas.org/blog/winter-storm-2021-national-media-release/.
Srikanth, Anagha. (2021, February 17). “Texas Blackouts Disproportionately Affect Low-Income, Nonwhite Communities.” The Hill. thehill.com/changing-america/resilience/natural-disasters/539273-texas-blackouts-dispro portionately-impact-low. US Census Bureau. (2020, September). “Income and Poverty in the United States: 2019.” The United States Census Bureau. www.census.gov/data/tables/2020/demo/income-poverty/p60-270.html.
Webb, Eric, & Broyles, Addie. (2021, February 18). “Where to Get Free Water and Donate Water in Austin and Central Texas.” Austin360. www.austin360.com/story/lifestyle/food/2021/02/18/where-find-free-water-austin-natural -grocers/6797950002/.
Weber, Andrew. (2021, July 14). “Texas Winter Storm Death Toll Goes up to 210, Including 43 Deaths in Harris County.” Houston Public Media. www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/energy-environment/2021/07/14/403191/texa s-winter-storm-death-toll-goes-up-to-210-including-43-deaths-in-harris-county/#:~:text= The%20Texas%20Department%20of%20State.
Yancey-Bragg, N’dea & Jervis, Rick. (2021, February 20). “Texas’ Winter Storm Could Make Life Worse for Black and Latino Families Hit Hard by Power Outages.” USA TODAY. www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/02/20/texas-ice-storm-blackouts-minorities-h ardest-hit-recovery/4507638001/.
To begin with, neighborhoods housing mostly Black and Hispanic residents tend to contain houses that are older, with poorer insulation, roofs, and pipes that drastically reduce their ability to withstand events of extreme weather. Additionally, electricity was kept on in neighborhoods that shared circuits with hospitals and other critical facilities, which are more likely to exist in affluent places. While some people could easily afford to flee their homes and travel to safer places like hotels, many were either unable to afford alternate accommodations or were tasked with making the difficult decision between draining their savings or seeking warmth and electricity. Those without access to cars or gasoline were often left without the option to leave their homes, as public transportation was shut down. The chain of food supply, as with the electric grid, collapsed under the storm’s strain, reducing the availability of both food and pharmacological products.
As severe weather conditions continued, entire infrastructure systems failed, and many people’s situations became more dire as the heat slowly drained from their homes, their food spoiled or ran out, and access to clean drinking water disappeared. Traditional sources of philanthropy that are widely considered to be the most helpful in mitigating crises, such as the Red Cross and the Salvation Army, were strangely absent in many narratives because of the limitations imposed by the aforementioned structural inequalities. The American Red Cross was engaged in aiding Texans, but they were limited to conventional responses that were deployed mostly from warming centers. The Salvation Army, according to their own press release, provided shelter and food to people throughout Texas, once again through the use of warming centers. These efforts, although undoubtedly present, were simply inaccessible to many people.
While it is important to acknowledge the circumstances that made the winter storm so devastating and the responses that were unfortunately inadequate, it is equally important to share the ways that people successfully adapted to the situation. Government and organized aid was sparse and often inaccessible, so people sought alternative solutions. The use of rapidly disseminated information through local news sources and social media facilitated communication and intra-community reliance using systems of mutual aid.
Mutual aid differs from more conventional philanthropy because it facilitates collaborative relationships, which allow people to receive what they need and give what they’re able. It can be utilized to fulfill immediate and specific needs, and is often provided directly, with no strings attached. Groups aim to help underserved communities directly, rather than relying on top-down methods of government assistance, which, as we saw during the storm, often arrive either too late or not at all. They can be run by people who are actually members of the communities that need to be served, which gives them an edge because they know firsthand the challenges being faced. Mutual aid efforts have been expedited and aided both by social media and by popular online donation platforms, such as PayPal, Venmo, and CashApp. Sites like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter allowed individuals to both seek and provide support, without the interference and bureaucracy of philanthropic organizations. People, regardless of their ability to access traditional forms of aid, were able to communicate their situation, what exactly would help them, and what they could offer to others in similar situations. While financial donations and contributions were an important aspect of the mutual aid that was most helpful during the storm, people were also connected with basic resources like fresh water, food, and transportation. Through effective community communication, facilitated by social media, social networks, and a spirit of reciprocity and giving, people took care of each other.
For more information about the winter storm and the aid that was provided, go to:
On the inequalities and circumstances of the storm: https://www.texastribune.org/2021/02/19/Texas-winter-storm-suffering-inequities/
On the resources that were distributed: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2021/02/15/how-to-help-how-get-food-shelter-resourcesduring-texas-winter-storm/4486821001/
On mutual aid during the storm: https://www.vox.com/the-goods/22289581/mutual-aid-helps-texas-storm
https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-02-18/ted-cruz-texas-mutual-aid-groups Works Cited Aldhous, Peter, Lee, Stephanie M., & Hirji, Zahra. (2021, May 26). “The Texas Winter Storm and Power Outages Killed Hundreds More People than the State Says.” BuzzFeed News. www.buzzfeednews.com/article/peteraldhous/texas-winter-storm-power-outage-death-toll .
Foster-Frau, Silvia, & Hernández, Arelis R. (2021, February 16). “Freezing Temperatures and Power Outages Hurt Texas’s Most Vulnerable yet Again.” The Washington Post. www.washingtonpost.com/national/texas-storm-hurts-most-vulnerable-again/2021/02/16/ fe3c8fd4-707b-11eb-93be-c10813e358a2_story.html?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm _medium=email&_hsmi=111556767&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--2SM-WYyUKyH-NBF0hlCmo gkI2YNw88ttaak-fAOmU6ZIlVMcmI85kfgAzufOG213PVmh3hwRclUOLmTwcfcEYP FFHOw&utm_content=111556767&utm_source=hs_email.
Garnham, Alexa Ura & Pablo, Juan. (2021, February 19). “Already Hit Hard by Pandemic, Black and Hispanic Communities Suffer the Blows of an Unforgiving Winter Storm.” The Texas Tribune. www.texastribune.org/2021/02/19/Texas-winter-storm-suffering-inequities/. Howell, Junia, & Elliot, James R. (2019). “Damages Done: The Longitudinal Impacts of Natural Hazards on Wealth Inequality in the United States.” Social Problems, Vol. 66 (3), 448-467. https://doi.org/10.1093/socpro/spy016.
Lee, Lauren. (2021, February 25). “How You Can Help Texas Winter Storm Victims.” CNN.
www.cnn.com/2021/02/17/us/texas-winter-storm-how-to-help-iyw-trnd/index.html. Martinez, Marissa. (2021, February 23). “Texans Used Mutual Aid to Help Their Communities through a Devastating Winter Storm.” The Texas Tribune. www.texastribune.org/2021/02/23/mutual-aid-texas-storm/. Menchaca, Megan. (2021, February 16). “How to Help and Get Help in Texas as the Winter Storm Causes Power Outages.” The Texas Tribune. www.texastribune.org/2021/02/16/texas-power-outage-help-warming-shelter/.
Nguyen, Terry. (2021, February 18). “In Crisis, Texans Are Turning toward Mutual Aid Networks.” Vox. www.vox.com/the-goods/22289581/mutual-aid-helps-texas-storm. O’Donnell, Amanda. (2021, February 15). “Here’s How to Get Help for Yourself or Others during Texas’ Historic Freeze.” Austin American-Statesman. www.statesman.com/story/news/2021/02/15/how-to-help-how-get-food-shelter-resources -during-texas-winter-storm/4486821001/.
Rahman, Tahera. (2021, February 17). “City Officials Say Warming Centers Need Staffing & Transportation Help.” KXAN Austin. www.kxan.com/news/local/city-officials-say-warming-centers-need-staffing-transportatio n-help/.
Roy, Jessica. (2021, February 19). “As Ted Cruz Travels, Mutual Aid Groups Are Stepping up in Texas.” Los Angeles Times. www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-02-18/ted-cruz-texas-mutual-aid-groups. Salvation Army. (2021, February 18). “Winter Storm 2021 National Media Release.” Salvation Army Texas. www.salvationarmytexas.org/blog/winter-storm-2021-national-media-release/.
Srikanth, Anagha. (2021, February 17). “Texas Blackouts Disproportionately Affect Low-Income, Nonwhite Communities.” The Hill. thehill.com/changing-america/resilience/natural-disasters/539273-texas-blackouts-dispro portionately-impact-low. US Census Bureau. (2020, September). “Income and Poverty in the United States: 2019.” The United States Census Bureau. www.census.gov/data/tables/2020/demo/income-poverty/p60-270.html.
Webb, Eric, & Broyles, Addie. (2021, February 18). “Where to Get Free Water and Donate Water in Austin and Central Texas.” Austin360. www.austin360.com/story/lifestyle/food/2021/02/18/where-find-free-water-austin-natural -grocers/6797950002/.
Weber, Andrew. (2021, July 14). “Texas Winter Storm Death Toll Goes up to 210, Including 43 Deaths in Harris County.” Houston Public Media. www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/energy-environment/2021/07/14/403191/texa s-winter-storm-death-toll-goes-up-to-210-including-43-deaths-in-harris-county/#:~:text= The%20Texas%20Department%20of%20State.
Yancey-Bragg, N’dea & Jervis, Rick. (2021, February 20). “Texas’ Winter Storm Could Make Life Worse for Black and Latino Families Hit Hard by Power Outages.” USA TODAY. www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/02/20/texas-ice-storm-blackouts-minorities-h ardest-hit-recovery/4507638001/.