For most of us the winter storm that arrived Sunday and, like an unwelcome visitor, has lingered far too long, has been an inconvenience, a disruption, an irritation.
As we remained secure and safe in our homes, there were others for whom the storm required greater sacrifice.
Utility crews, particularly in Noxubee and South Lowndes counties, spent long, bitterly cold days repairing fallen power lines to restore service. Law enforcement responded throughout the days to calls about drivers who had crashed or slipped into ditches. Fire departments were on full alert for fires that often accompany cold weather.
Services such as HVAC technicians, tow truck drivers and plumbers worked long hours in brutal conditions to respond to potentially dangerous circumstances. Some may argue that they were “just doing their job,” but these workers also took on additional risk.
Many health care workers, already under stress from the pandemic, braved the conditions to report to work.
The demands on these folks and others will likely only increase as the thaw begins. Plumbers, especially, will be looking at some 12-hour days into the weekend, we suspect.
So, while your next utility bill will likely be higher than Willie Nelson on a Saturday night circa 1980, perhaps the thought of a chunk of that bill going to pay utility workers will ease the blow. Could anyone even suggest they didn’t earn it this week?
We should all pause for a moment and say thank you for all of those who kept us warm and safe in such conditions.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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