A thin layer of ice and sleet coated the roads as a large portion of the city completely darkens from the winter storm that swept through the south.
Despite not receiving much snowfall as predicted, inclement weather in Texarkana—sleet, black ice, freezing temperatures—still caused school across TISD to be canceled on Jan. 9-10, with power outages posing a major issue for many.
“[The decision to close school] came from Dr. Brubaker,” assistant principal Jacquelyn Smith said. “He talked with the Transportation Department, met with the chief of police, and they made the ultimate decision together. We were predicted to have up to 10 inches of snow, so it was better to be safe than sorry.”
This decision to prioritize safety did not come without challenges, with many staff members experiencing significant disruptions.
“Our power went out for 36-38 hours,” Smith said. “We froze for a little bit and went to eat dinner somewhere warm. I was planning on getting work done, but was unable to.”
For students, the challenges were just as impactful, with daily routines disrupted by the lack of electricity and freezing conditions.
“[Our power was out] for about 24 hours,” senior Laila Toubia said. “Luckily, we had automated candles that didn’t need to be lit, and we put them in our bedrooms. The next day, luckily, we had a friend and we went over to their house because I had homework, my mom had work and we needed to charge our computers.”
Even for those whose outages were shorter, the storm still posed unique challenges.
“We didn’t get snow in our area,” freshman Teagan Gustafson said. “But our power went out around two in the morning and came back on at ten. My friend saw it go off at my house so we sat in the car and charged our phones.”
For others, the storm lingered longer, with conditions growing increasingly difficult.
“Our power went out for two days, along with our heaters,” junior Hayden Kirkpatrick said. “There was ice in our trees and we had to use the fire to ease the cold.”
