The initially picturesque and rare snowstorms in the spring of 2021 soon turned into disaster as multiple storms brought plummeting temperatures and dangerous conditions. The severity of the storms, related power outages, and other problems made it one of the costliest disasters in the state’s long history. The low temperatures and power outages meant many residents needed to take drastic actions to stay warm. Helping Texans to manage the storms was nonprofit organization BCFS Health and Human Services. This organization is a leader in emergency response and disaster management which brought its experience and capabilities to multiple situations throughout the state. It offered power generation, warming supplies such as blankets and cots, water, and various other supplies.
The organization’s help was needed across Texas due to the widespread storms. It provided aid to Breckenridge Village of Tyler (BVT), a nonprofit facility that offers expert care for adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities. BVT lost power during one of the storms and realized it needed to evacuate its residents due to falling temperatures that would prove dangerous if left unaddressed. The residents at BVT were moved to the Robert M. Rogers Chapel, where BCFS Health and Human Services installed generators, cots and blankets, and other support and materials to keep the residents safe for days.
BCFS Health and Human Services also supported San Antonio residents through a variety of means during the snowstorms. It managed a warming center at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, which included bringing online power generators and providing warming supplies for up to 500 chilly residents. The organization also brought in water on 15 semi-trucks to residents.
During the snowstorm, BCFS Health and Human Services’ staff members also continued to provide medical care. Staff members relied on the organization’s robust transportation services to take them safely too and from work despite the dangerous road conditions.
Many of the organization’s residential services facilities were met with power outages and loss of water during the storms. These facilities were able to function properly because they already had plans in place that included on-site generators and stores of water that allowed them to function properly and provide care for residents.
