{"id":143359,"date":"2026-01-30T00:23:15","date_gmt":"2026-01-30T00:23:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/143359\/"},"modified":"2026-01-30T00:23:15","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T00:23:15","slug":"weekend-snowstorm-exposes-gaps-in-emergency-preparedness-across-region","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/143359\/","title":{"rendered":"Weekend snowstorm exposes gaps in emergency preparedness across region"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"text | article-text\">LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) &#8211; The recent snowfall revealed how quickly normal routines can be disrupted. Across the region, residents found themselves facing bare grocery shelves, treacherous driving conditions, and the stress of last-minute preparation efforts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text | article-text\">Deshun Avery, executive director of the Panhandle Plains Chapter of the Red Cross, believes the weekend\u2019s events highlighted a common problem in emergency response.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text | article-text\">\u201cI don\u2019t think we were prepared simple reason, running to the store, start trying to grab things we should of already had,\u201d Avery said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text | article-text\">Similar scenarios unfolded throughout Texas as grocery stores experienced sudden rushes of customers seeking essential supplies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text | article-text\"> Avery explains that crisis situations often trigger emotional rather than rational responses, which is why advance planning proves so critical.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text | article-text\">\u201cWe learned a lesson. What we learned is we weren\u2019t ready. If we are running to the stores, accidents are happening that\u2019s a good time for people to say, listen here\u2019s how I could of done better,\u201d Avery said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text | article-text\">The Red Cross recommends maintaining two separate emergency kits: one designed for sheltering at home and another for potential evacuation situations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text | article-text\">Essential supplies should include a minimum of one gallon of water per person, non-perishable food items, necessary medications, and basic hygiene products.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text | article-text\">Avery emphasizes that rushing to stores during emergencies creates problems for entire communities.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text | article-text\">\u201cNeighbors look out for neighbors that\u2019s one way I\u2019ll really put it. I want to make sure my home is okay but always think about my neighbors as well,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text | article-text\">While delivery services and emergency responders work diligently during severe weather, dangerous conditions can significantly delay assistance. <\/p>\n<p class=\"text | article-text\">Avery suggests that family discussions and advance planning can eliminate much of the stress associated with unexpected weather events.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text | article-text\">\u201cYou can get on Amazon, the store, anywhere. Just having those things ready and always a just in case. I think these are really vital, in this time. Thankfully this storm looks like its passed us but this is now a good time to start preparing,\u201d Avery said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text | article-text\">Families with special circumstances should incorporate those needs into their emergency plans. <\/p>\n<p class=\"text | article-text\">This includes households with medical equipment, pets, young children, or elderly relatives who may require additional considerations during severe weather.<\/p>\n<p class=\"copyright |\">Copyright 2026 KCBD. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) &#8211; The recent snowfall revealed how quickly normal routines can be disrupted. Across the region,&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":143360,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[168,170,169],"class_list":{"0":"post-143359","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-lubbock","8":"tag-lubbock","9":"tag-lubbock-headlines","10":"tag-lubbock-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143359","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=143359"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143359\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/143360"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=143359"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=143359"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=143359"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}