The Night of the Storm

My first storm in Rhode Island was quite impressive. I felt surprised. lt was my first storm and I didn't know what to expect. I felt doubt but with expectation. I thought of the possibilities, but without experience of my own. I was scared, surprised, doubtful, anticipating with imagination, and maybe anxiety. Then, like so many people before it all happened, I went to the supermarket to buy groceries and provisions. My husband had to travel the next day after the storm, so I also needed to buy all the necessities for the weekend because I can’t get around easily when he’s away. When he travels, my best friends are Uber, the bus and the train. But with a storm coming everything gets really complicated.

When I got to the supermarket there was only a little bit of everything left. Fortunately, my nutrition is based on eating fresh foods that I cook for myself so a positive factor was that fresh foods and perishables, such as vegetables, were affordable, because basically nobody would buy for a few days ahead when they spoil quickly. But it was also a factor playing against me because, I thought, if this were a real emergency and the electricity went out or anything else happened, my food would spoil fast and I wouldn’t be able to cook. That sounds like it would be less than intelligent to be fit jajajaja!

But that's ok. To continue my story, After going to the market, we made hot chocolate during the storm and watched a marathon of series and films. When I saw the snow start falling, I said in my mind, it is impossible that this snow will get to the level they’re predicting. It was very fluffy, beautiful and with flakes so small I didn't believe they would add up to so many feet. that i didn't believe it. But after i listened to the wind blowing it really scared me more. From the window of my apartment I could see everything being covered. At night the wind was stronger and everything was in darkness. It was certainly a little terrifying.

Soon the snow came halfway up my window. I live on the first floor, so I thought: Woow! This is a really big snow storm! I worried for the homeless and people who don’t have cars, because the last storm was smaller and people needed more time to clean the sidewalks in front of their houses to be able to walk on the sidewalk. It is really dangerous to get around without a car, even in an emergency. For those who have the privilege of owning a car or getting around by Uber, this is not a big problem. Also, Uber can't get to you. But there are other people who need to walk until the buses or trains can move. That changes the situation because walking halfway in the street with black ice only causes more accidents no one would be responsible for.

Finally, we went to sleep after a couple of TV shows and woke up the next morning.". Omg! Our door wouldn’t open. The snow came up a little bit more than halfway up the door. Open a little bit and record all. It was amazing.

My father-in-law came to help clean the door and my husband cleaned the rest and helped us a little.

I recognize that although it was a little complex to clear the snow and I could see in the news the mayor of Providence and governor of Rhode Island had a strategy for clearing the snow as soon as possible. But when they announced an emergency alert, I really got scared. I imagined an emergency alert in Latin America, maybe because all the emergency alerts that I have seen in Mexico were natural disasters of a big scale. I think I felt calmer in the blizzard, but also that people left everything in the hands of the government and activated less community help. Because I saw people worried about going back to work and in Mexico the people would have and organized immediately. Maybe comfort makes us less empathetic.

Also there’s a funny part; more people took advantage of making activities with snow: snowmen, warriors of snow and sliding or skiing.

The truth is the weather helped a lot because the days after were sunny and that helped the snow melt more quickly. And obviously, the comprehensive effort of the city workers to clean frequently used routes also helped.

Overall, I loved the arrival of snowfall with winter in New England. It is a privilege to live in a place where you really see each season of the year.

When I was a young girl and I called my dad who lives in Ohio, and he told me it was snowing, I was very excited. I dreamed of a day I could experience it. Also, near my home in the volcanoes Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl, there is snow and I can visit, but really it's not comparable. I never planned to live in a place where the snowfall is a consideration when it’s time to buy clothes, a car and choose a house. But I actually like that it’s part of my life. For soon, and give us sunny days and good winds.

~~

Angie Nuñez - Mexico

The Blizzard Storm - Sophany's Story

The day before the blizzard hit, my mom and I went to the grocery store to buy some things that we needed to prepare for the storm. During that day, all the stores were very busy and some of the food and beverages almost ran out. Luckily, we stared ahead of time, so everything was convenient for us. My dad filled up the gas tank and made sure the snow blower was working well.

The next day, the blizzard came with strong winds and heavy snow. All the places were shut down, including my workplace, for two days in a row. I sat close to the window, looked outside and saw white, snowy conditions covering the cars, roads, trees and houses. After the snow stopped, my dad and my husband used the snow blower to clean the snow on the driveway. The machine helped remove the thick snow quickly. My mom and I cleaned the cars and shoveled the sidewalk. It is the first time that I have seen a blizzard with thick snow and ice in Rhode Island during my almost 9 years here.

The blizzard taught us a lesson to prepare before the storm hit. It was an amazing experience for my family to spend outdoors, working, laughing, talking and playing together. After we finished removing the snow, my family spent time together and we ate warm food like noodle soup and watched a movie on Netflix.

~~~

Sophany Din - Cambodia

The Blizzard of 26 - Daneuris' Story

My experience with the storm was very chill. I don't have a problem staying at home, so I took all that time to work on a personal project and watch movies with my family, and trying to calm my dad who doesn't like to stay too much at home, unlike me haha. But it was surrealistic watching all that snow falling and not stopping. I live on the second floor and looking at the street from the windows was scary.

The day after the storm me and my dad tried to shovel but it was too much, so we cleaned the car as much as we could and waited for the house owner who had a snowblower. So, me, my father, our neighbors and the house owner cleaned all the parking spaces and the entrance to the parking lot. But the day after that, the city cleaned the street and they pushed all the snow across the entrance of the parking lot again haha. They did that in the night so we got trapped for another day and missed work.

Overall, everything was nice because we didn’t have too many problems but in the future I'm going to exaggerate the story to impress my kids hahah.

~~~

Daneuris Guzman - Dominican Republic

The Blizzard of ‘26- Janyce’s story

It’s my first winter in Rhode Island. I lived in France, near a ski station. I know the snow. I grew up with snow and that doesn’t scare me. On the contrary, I have always loved winter. When I came here, near the ocean, I couldn’t imagine so much snow! I knew the temperature here was cooler compared to my country but the sensation isn’t the same (wet and dry don’t give the same sensation). Even if temperatures drop lower here, it doesn't feel as uncomfortable.

So, Sunday arrived, and I'm celebrating my birthday with some friends. And then ... our phones suddenly start making some noises, an alert loud enough to wake up every squirrel in the neighborhood! "Warning: Blizzard Approaching." What to do? I've never experienced anything like this! I need to quickly run to get some food at the grocery store. After, I relax on my couch and wait for the snow.

I was so surprised in the morning when so much snow arrived but the landscape was so amazing! I wanted to jump into the snow but, unfortunately, I’m not a kid and I don’t have good clothes for that! But, it was my birthday! I have always had snow for my birthday, like a tradition. And the tradition continued even here (I think the snow followed me!). I’m glad to have seen a beautiful blizzard like that, especially for my first winter. I’m lucky because my neighbor and my husband helped me clear the snow in our way, and we didn’t have any power outages. I only experienced the good sides of the storm. I just watched my husband clean snow from my window, nice and warm.

I was also surprised by the huge quantity of salt which was used on the road. In my region, the source of water, mountains and nature are so important, so we take care of the planet and the water that we drink (also to take care of the wild animals, who can poison themselves with salt). For that, we don’t use a lot of salt on the road. French people have almost no 4x4s but but buy good tires (snow tires) and if you don’t have good tires, the policeman gives you a fine. I knew how to drive in the snow (Okay, though not with as much snow as the size of the car!) I remember, once, one friend lived on the top of the mountains, and we couldn't go there by car because the road was too slippery. Without hesitation, we climbed the mountain in reverse and had no problems.

And to finish with a little joke my husband often tells me, I think the ocean is salty because it’s all the salt on the road in the USA.

In summary, the blizzard 2026 was very fun and beautiful. I’m ready for the next one 🙂.

~~

Janyce - France

The Blizzard of '26 - Anush's Story

The winter in Cranston this year(2026) was harsh.

This was a major test for us. We had to stay home for two days because a lot of snow fell. The windows were packed with snow. Not even the streets were visible. On days like these it seems as though nature has fallen into a deep sleep. All night the wind howls as if you are in a forest.

My husband and son-in-law cleared the road for more than three hours so that we could get out. My grandson was the most delighted by the snow - he played snowballs, went sledding, and walked happily into a warm house.

To tell the truth, I don't like winter, especially a frosty and windy winter. What depresses me most in the winter is the greyness outside the window. True, there are sunny days, but they are few. I hate freezing wind burning my face as if it knows you hate it. In winter you dress like a cabbage and walk like a penguin.

The only thought that brings me joy is that all of this is temporary.

Though it was a freezing cold time, this severe winter had a unique, majestic charm that makes you appreciate the comfort of home.

~~

Anush Farian - Armenia

The Blizzard of '26 - Priya's Story

On the morning of the blizzard I woke up in the chill. I didn't expect a power outage, it completely shocked me. Because I have been living in Rhode Island for the last 10 years I haven't seen a blizzard or a power outage before. So I didn’t plan ahead. It surprised me that I had three challenges:

Food
Heat
Boredom!

I had a guest at home who came from North Carolina. I served fruits and nuts for breakfast and I had thermals at home that helped keep my body warm.

Entertaining the kids was a big chellange for me. They played a word game that means if they draw the picture we would find the word by seeing the picture. We played the game until 1:30 pm. By that time the wind was heavy. My windows were covered with snow. I couldn't see anything from inside and we heard a heavy wind blowing. The sound was a little scary.

That day the kids learned the value of food. They literally wanted hot food. My husband tried to go outside. It was impossible to walk so we skipped the idea of going out. We waited for the wind to die down. The kids played in the snow and cleared the snow from the car. It was a big task to dig out the snow. The daytime was better because we had natural light.

Another big challenge was it was tough when it got darker. I had so many experiences without power in my country, but for the kids it was their first time. Fortunately, I had candles and lighters. We survived and got our power back. That was a big relief.

Finally, my day started with frustration and ended with relaxation. It was an experience for me to prepare for future storms.

~~~

Priya - India

Dear Americans

My name is Regina and I am the youngest of four sisters. I am from Brazil. I was born in Goiania, a small city in the middle of the country near the capital, Brasilia. I lived there until I graduated university in civil engineering. As a person who was born in Goiania, I like to eat pamonha, a traditional food made with corn, cheese and sausage. When I was 25 years old I moved to São Paulo to study for a master's degree in Geotechnic. Because I was used to living in a small city, I had a hard time getting used to the way of life in São Paulo. Although São Paulo is a fascinating city and never sleeps, I had some trouble driving in a city with so much traffic and lots of motorcycles. São Paulo is the kind of city that you love or you hate, but I love it.

As soon as I finished my master’s degree I started working as a civil engineer. So I had the opportunity to work on different kinds of projects around Brazil and other countries like Venezuela, Spain, Peru and Panamá.

Five months ago, I moved to the US with my husband who has been transferred to work at the Hexagon company in North Kingston. As soon as I arrived, I noticed some interesting aspects about people from Rhode Island. They are helpful and friendly. I mean they usually give you support even when you don’t ask, like helping with groceries or simply engaging in a friendly conversation. Besides that, they hibernate during the wintertime. It seems that they prefer to stay home rather than go out during the winter. In addition to that, they always have a wreath at the front door no matter what festivities they are celebrating.

Today, I am getting used to living in the US and developing other habits like having dinner around 6PM, which was pretty unusual for me. Another thing is eating seafood such as lobsters and oysters. It has been an exciting culinary adventure for me because I was not used to eating it before. Also, going to a pub to dance in a different way like line dance, which is not a kind of dance we have in Brazil. Although sometimes I get homesick, I am very happy to live here and learn about American culture, customs and traditions.



Regina Costa - Brazil.