The merciless winter storm Elliott has recently claimed more than 50 lives in the United States. “A war with mother nature” is how Americans describe it.
Human stories from the most affected area prove how tough it is and how creative and solidarity people can be in times of greatest need.
Snow layers more than a meter thick, temperatures down to -40 degrees and at least 28 fatalities. Of all the US regions, the area around Buffalo, New York, appears to be in the worst shape. Rescue workers have little room to move because of the snow, so the residents are often left to fend for themselves. On Sunday, we already brought the story about a mother who had to manually operate her son’s oxygen device all night because the power had gone out.
Meanwhile, more and more stories from the city are coming out. For example, a number of pregnant women did not make it to the hospital last weekend and were forced to give birth at home. Erica Thomas, for example. She was due for Christmas, but her contractions had already started Friday evening. At a time when the storm had just raged fiercely. So when her husband Davon called 911, he was told it was impossible to get an ambulance to the house.
Video call
As the couple tried to figure out what to do, Erica’s contractions got faster and faster. Through a call in a Facebook group about the snowstorm, they eventually found a doula who wanted to help them with the delivery. Doulas are women who assist couples during pregnancy and childbirth. Since they have no medical expertise, the doula contacted a nurse friend to help. They all started a video call in which the two specialists guided the couple step by step through the delivery.
At about 3:30 am, a healthy baby girl was born: Devynn Brielle Thomas. The following day, another local resident took the baby and her parents to the hospital with his truck. “Buffalo is called the city of good neighbours for a reason,” brand new father Davon told the local newspaper.
120 people received in the church
The story of a group of South Korean tourists reinforces this quote. On Saturday morning, they were on their way to Niagara Falls when their car suddenly got stuck in the snow not far from Buffalo. Looking for snow shovels to free the car, two group members knocked on a random front door.
Fate turned out to be in their favour, as the homeowners, Alexander and Andrea Campagna, not only helped loosen the tourists with their cars, they also invited them in. The group of ten ended up staying with the Campagnas all weekend. They all celebrated Christmas together. “The friendliest people I’ve ever met,” said South Korean tourist Yoseb Choi.
Sheltering people also happened on a larger scale. In Lovejoy, a neighbourhood in Buffalo, many people were without electricity for an entire weekend. The local Spirit of Truth Urban Ministries church was an exception. They still had power there, something Church pastor Al Robinson saw as “a sign from God” to help people in the area. He made an appeal on social media with his wife: everyone is welcome in the church.
With snowmobiles and 4×4 vehicles, some volunteers picked people up and took them to the church. On Friday evening, 120 people had already gathered in the church’s auditorium. All ages are represented, from baby to very old. “We have heating, electricity and provide people with three meals daily,” Pastor Robinson told Buffalo News. “Our initiative is unofficial, but we do help people.”
