My husband has been telling me all week that we’re under a winter storm warning.
The governor has even declared a state of emergency.

The news says:

“Total snow and sleet accumulations between 4 and 8 inches and ice accumulations between two tenths and four tenths of an inch. Winds gusting as high as 40 mph.”

They warn that power outages and tree damage are likely.
That travel could be nearly impossible.

We’ve been here before.

Last winter, we experienced a storm like this — and it ended up being far more ice than snow. Everything was covered. Once the roads were finally safe enough, we ventured out to town. Riding up the mountain, there were downed trees everywhere, their roots pulled straight out of the ground from the weight of the ice.

I remember staring at a patch of trees along the ridge, all uprooted, and feeling stunned.

Trees fell on power lines.
On houses.
On cars.

Some people were without power for a day or two. Others were without it for more than a week. We were among the lucky ones — our power came back by the end of the day. And thankfully, the indoor wood stove we had at the time decided to cooperate, even though it had been temperamental before.

When the ice and snow finally melted off the mountains, all that water had to go somewhere.

The rivers filled fast. Our beloved backyard river turned into something to be feared. It widened, crept closer, and eventually made its way into our yard. The water rose so high it was touching the bottom of the bridge. I couldn’t believe it.

It was honestly scary to witness.

Neighbors up the road couldn’t leave their homes — their bridge had been overtaken by rushing water. Water poured down the mountainsides in new streams, running alongside the roads and carving fresh ditches. It was a sight I won’t forget.

So when another state of emergency was announced this year, and another winter ice storm predicted, we felt… a little more prepared.

We finally have a generator, given to us by my dad. It’s not powerful enough to run the stove, but it will keep the lights on and the fridge cold. We have an outdoor wood stove to keep the house warm. And a few kerosene lanterns tucked away, just in case.

At the grocery store, Aldi was completely out of bread — and water. Walmart still had bread, but not the cheap white loaves people usually reach for. Only the pricier options remained. And there was no water there either.

I walked through the store slowly, wondering what food made sense to buy. I didn’t want to stock up on frozen or cold foods if we wouldn’t be able to cook them.

Today, I baked two loaves of bread.
If we lose power, at least we’ll have something simple to make sandwiches with. I still need to boil some eggs — but I’ve been on my feet all day, and this mama is tired.

So for now, we wait.

We are here.
We are warm.
And we’ll see what this storm brings in the coming days.