Thread by @stjbs

After the deep freeze, I set out to learn about how disabled and medically fragile Texans fared in the blackout. My story is out today, but I’d like to share a couple of stories from people I spoke to but couldn’t quote in my story. houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-t…

This is Gary Lynn, 28, from Spring. He suffers from cerebral palsy, and can’t walk or move very well, so he needs a power chair to get around. During the storm, his feet swelled up and turned purple, and he worried he was going to lose them to frostbite.

Gary didn't mince words about the state's performance during the storm: “There needs to be some kind of plan in the future to protect vulnerable people like me, especially people with chronic disease and disabilities.”

Advocates were particularly frustrated because there are programs meant to help disabled people, such as a state registry – where disabled people can alert local emergency managers about their needs to help them prepare for disasters.

Power companies have "critical care" lists, that medically fragile customers can register for, and gives some customers protections from having their power cut off. But power companies (and state) are quick to issue disclaimers, saying they DO NOT assure people will be rescued.

They say, everyone needs to have a plan in disasters or power registries. In short, everyone’s on their own – even if they are paralyzed and can’t move.

This is Kemi Yemi-Ese, who lives in Austin. She’s paralyzed. During the storm, her brother walked into er room to check on her, only to find water flooding the apartment.
She got lucky -- she managed to get some help.

But here's what she had to say about the statewide response: “I felt like I had support from individuals who know me personally. As far as larger entities, I did not feel supported at all. … It felt very discouraging to see how other people fared.”

Then there’s Olivia Esparza. She has a daughter, Diana, who has Rett syndrome. She can’t move, and needs a machine to help suction away her saliva and to help her breathe, and she has a very difficult time regulating her body temperature.

During the storm, Olivia tried to go to a hotel, only to find it had run out of power. Finally, she loaded Diana into her car and drove for 20 hours to get to Florida to get away from the storm.

I found widespread problems with the state's registry: some counties used it to help their emergency response efforts; others ignored it. TDEM has also ignored multiple recommendations to hire staff specifically focused on emergency responses for disabled Texans.

Here's how @a_fredriksen from the AARP summed it up: “We’ve got this centralized list but the use of it is totally decentralized. After every hurricane, there’s a review of these issues, people wring their hands and wish they'd done things differently.”

There's a lot more in the story, which I hope you will read: houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-t…