Snowstorm

Indiana is an under the radar state. Not widely known, some people would have trouble pinpointing where it lies on a map. We have a reputation for skilled basketball players. And we get some extreme weather, unfortunately. We have tornadoes, thunderstorms, flooding, snow and ice storms, below zero temperatures, and hot summers with high humidity. The weather can change dramatically from one day to the next. One winter we had a terrifying storm.

It was January and it was cold. I believe the year was 1994. The snow started falling and soon visibility disappeared. The prediction was for 10-13 inches of snow. Actual air temperature was 10 below zero. The governor issued a stay at home order and people tried to stay off the roads. But businesses don’t shut down for inclement weather, and many had to report to work or lose their jobs.  Tragically, this resulted in car break downs and accidents.

At my home, we were battling the cold and trying to keep our pipes from freezing. In a storm like this, ice accumulation is common, and the weight of the ice pulls down limbs and power lines. Thank God we had power.

My brother-in-law, Kenny, was driving home from work and the snow drifts were terrible. By then the wind chill was 30 below zero. His car was old and not in good condition, and about 2 miles from home it stopped running. Kaput, it was done. No one had cell phones back then. There was no way to call for help. You were just on your own. He and my sister lived in the country and the nearest house was his own. He couldn’t stay in the car, he would freeze to death. So Kenny looked around the car to see what he could use. My sister’s washing machine was broken, so there was a basket of laundry in the back seat. Working quickly, Kenny removed his coat and began pulling on two pairs of jeans that he found in the basket, along with as many shirts as he could fit over himself. He tied a shirt around his neck, and pulled it over his face up to his eyes. He pulled his coat on over all the clothes. Searching the trunk for a flashlight, he hit gold when he found one with good batteries. He could barely see, and the road was gone, buried under snow. Watching for familiar trees and landmarks, he started heading for home, one slow step after another. He told us he honestly didn’t know if he would make it. When he saw his house on a hill up ahead, he thought his chest would explode with happiness. He made it home that night, frozen and exhausted, shaking and numb, but alive.

Ironically, Kenny worked at his father’s business. His father had not seen it fit to close for the day or let his workers go home early.

We got several inches of snow recently. When it snows, I often think of Kenny and his brush with death in an Indiana snowstorm. What would have happened to him if my sister’s washing machine had been working? What if he had no flashlight? Or hadn’t been wearing boots for work? I shake my head and marvel at his strength and resourcefulness and his luck in the midst of such terrible luck.

This story is in response to Esther Chilton’s writing prompt “Storm”.

Writing Prompts