A section of Kenyans living in Texas, USA, shared their brutal experiences after being caught up in the harsh winter conditions that have struck the expansive state.
The unexpected change of weather has seen a number of Kenyans (and many other residents) leave Texas - at least for now - until the situation improves.
Texas is usually known for its warm climate that characterize most seasons, and not the hard hitting snow that they have had to become accustomed to these past few weeks.
Reports indicate that the current temperatures go as low as -22 degrees. To put it into perspective, the normal freezer temperature range is at -18 degrees.
This has forced the majority of Kenyans to flee Texas to stay with relatives in other states. Speaking to Nation, a section of Kenyans, still coping with the harsh conditions in the state, narrated their harrowing experiences.
Chris Majani detailed how his family moved from Tenessee to Texas in search of a warmer climate only to find worse conditions in the state. He revealed that in the past few days, his family has been forced to sleep inside their Honda SUV in order to keep warm.
Further, due to the shutdown of water systems in the area owing to a massive power blackout, the family has resorted to boiling water from melted snow in order to wash utensils.
"On the first night, it was not that cold because of the cushions the house had. However, on the second night, I had to put the family in the car and run the engine nonstop. We spent that night bundled together in the car keeping warm, charging phones, listening to music and occasionally listening to news,” he stated.
Majani admitted that most Kenyans had not considered amenities such as home thermostats and a fireplace when they were looking for a house in Texas.
“I was not expecting this kind of cold temperature because I thought Texas was much warmer than Tennessee and most of the Northeast. That’s the reason I relocated here,” Majani noted.
His experiences were similar to those of Lucy Simiyu who revealed that most households lacked basic amenities due to the power blackout in the area. Lucy, along with her husband Bob Simiyu, lives in America's fourth-largest city of Houston, Texas.
"The current situation is bad! Millions of people are without power! From the snowman excitement at first to no electricity, freezing temperatures and no water, thousands of families are displaced and affected with no basic needs. Can you imagine no bread in stores and no fuel for cars?” she wondered.
The current situation in Texas has been a cause for worry and concern as the state’s electric grid operator lost control of the power supply, leaving millions without access to electricity.
Further, the weather conditions have made roads impassable and as a result, been the cause for multiple accidents within the state.
