I'm so sorry to hear that people are using the winter storm as a reason to act superior to others who are suffering. We're not any better just because this current disaster happens to swing to the extreme we have more experience with. People who understand firsthand the danger of extreme cold and snow should be more compassionate and offer help to those who aren't used to it.
If I can offer a small piece of oft overlooked advice that may hopefully help someone: cover your windows and doors you don't absolutely need to use with extra towels and plastic trash bags. Windows (especially single pane and doorwalls) lose a lot of heat and are one of the likeliest places to be uninsulated in *most* houses.
thank you so much for your compassion and your advice <3 really
The southern states in the US are expecting to get hit with severe winter weather this weekend (temperatures below freezing, ice, and snow). The type that we do not experience on the regular. Speaking as a southerner, many of us are not good at coping with this type of thing. I want to emphasize something: this is not our faults. The infrastructure in southern states were not built to be suitable for this type of weather. The supplies we have available to us to deal with snow and ice aren't nearly as vast as northern states because this type of weather is not normal for us.
That being said, it would be wise to prepare in every way possible while there is still time. Even if it doesn't turn out as bad as predicted, better to be safe than sorry. Here is a checklist of things to consider:
Stock Up On:
• Multiple Gallons of Water (water lines are very likely to freeze, even with faucets dripping)
• First Aid Supplies (You never know when it could be needed.)
• Long-Lasting Candles (in case the power goes out, but flashlights are preferred over candles)
• Matches (lighter fluid freezes in cold temperatures)
• Flashlights
• Batteries
• Paper Products (Toilet Paper, Paper Towels, Tissues, Paper Bowls + Plates, etc)
• Hats, Gloves, Socks (Your hands, feet, and ears will thank you later.)
• Blankets
• Battery Banks (for your phone, in case electricity goes out)
• For those who have a vehicle, make sure you fill it up on gas.
• GET ANY NECESSARY MEDICATIONS REFILLED IF POSSIBLE.
DO:
• Wear layers. I know this can be a sensory nightmare for some but if your electricity goes out, you will need to stay warm with what you have. If you have wool-based or waterproof fabrics, use it.
• Take advantage of outdoor fireplaces and grills for heat if needed. Many homes these days do not have wood stoves or fireplaces, so if you absolutely need a heat source take advantage of what is outdoors if necessary.
• Inform yourself of the symptoms of and basic treatments for hypothermia and frostbite.
• Pay attention to your health. Do not overexert yourself. Do not waste your energy on tasks that are not immediately important. Conserve your energy.
DO NOT:
• Do not leave any fires or other sources of heat unattended, and do not allow any flammable objects near sources of heat.
• Do not use a gas-fueled oven or stove for a source of heat. This can lead to carbon monoxide buildup in your space. That shit will kill you.
• Do not use your vehicle for heat when it is inside a garage or other closed-off space. Again, carbon monoxide. That shit will kill you. You will also want to save your gas as much as possible.
• Do not try to travel unless it is absolutely necessary, and if it is necessary to travel in a vehicle be careful. If you are considering staying with a friend or relative, or even seeking shelter at a place like a hotel, get there before the severe weather hits.
If you have livestock of any kind, please give them fresh bedding that insulates well while you still can. Consider what you may need to do to keep them warm, such as bringing them inside.
i'm tired of seeing northerners mocking southerners for being concerned about the coming cold. we are not built for this.
many of our houses are old and drafty and have no central air or heat. just as many were designed with high ceilings and big windows specifically to move heat OUT of our houses because of how hot it gets down here, not keep it inside like homes in colder climates.
this is like if michigan or smth was gonna experience a heatwave of like 100 degrees and we were down here like WHAT'S THE MATTER IT'S JUST A LITTLE HEATSTROKE LMAO STOP BEING DRAMATIC JUST TURN ON A CEILING FAN
I love your blog so much, I've been trying to get Appalachia into the eyes of modern leftists for a long time. People in my experience will blatantly ignore Appalachian history because it's just "hicks" or "rednecks" and assume all Appalachians are homophobic right wingers, when that simply IS NOT THE CASE, especially in Appalachian history. I live so deep in Appalachia that I have relatives who still have outhouses instead of bathrooms, and a few of my great uncles and aunts still say "where ye be?" Instead of "where are you?". Hardest headed and most reliable mf's I know.
i know. its always people who don't know shit who talk the most shit. like congrats, u fell for the propaganda machine.
appalachian history is rooted in leftism. we are, historically, a working class, union-oriented, anti-cop people. it's their ignorance. all we can do is keep showing them how wrong they are.
anecdotally, like, my appalachian family didnt give a single FUCK when i came out as queer when i was 13. my mama was a 'sweet old southern christian white lady' type so everyone expects i had this hard coming out story just bc i tell it with an accent. i don't. i was lovingly accepted by my community and i have a very healthy relationship with my queerness, because of how it was recieved by my home.
meanwhile my yankee wife from a "liberal" area has deep trauma from how her parents reacted to the same news at the same age. like.
ur in the right place, welcome welcome, thanks for being here <33
hi. uh ok so,,, as an urban appalachian, i’ve been going to appalachia every year for my entire life until now. she has been a part of me. she is my mother. she is my blood. but this is my first year without her. i know everybody leaves her because… to say it bluntly, there are no prospects with her. but i guess, i never thought that’d be me. but now it is. i want to say i’d give anything to stay with her, but i won’t: college and my life ahead seem incompatible with her. uh, i’m scared that i’ll never come home again. and i’m ashamed that i’m leaving her too, that my prospects are more important to me than she is. and i don’t want her to be alone. i guess, i need some kind words. i’m not ready to be somebody without her in my life, but i think i have to. and i don’t know what to do, or how to be that person, and nobody understands. and i feel ashamed and foolish because i know it’s “not that deep”. especially because i am not separated from her by international lines or vast seas like most people who relate to this feeling are. uh anyway. that was disorganized, sorry. i hope you or somebody seeing this blog can understand. god bless. 💙💛
hey there. not foolish at all, and it totally is that deep actually.
your identity is wrapped up in where you come from and who you were raised by. severing yourself from it out of perceived necessity is fuckin painful.
not everybody leaves, but a lot of us do, yes. i left for half a decade myself because we couldn't afford financially to stay. i had no other choice. i was even eager to because i felt like i was 'getting out' at last, too.
many of us find ourselves in this situation.
parting from her was what made me really take a look at the place i ran from and realize there was no running, not really. i learned there is no extricating myself entirely from her, and in fact, i didn't want to. so i didn't. you won't, either.
i am appalachia by josiah and the bonnevilles sort of touches on this feeling. the chorus makes me feel so seen. i cried the first few times i heard it.
And when they lay my body in the green, green grass
I will whisper secrets to the animals that pass
About the times I know I swore I was never coming back / About the times I walked away and the times I ran back
But I lied, I am Appalachia
you are appalachia and you will always be appalachia. don't matter how far u move or how much of your accent you bury. you was raised by her and mama don't let go that easy baby
Sorry to drop this nonsense into your inbox, but there legitimately have been times in which I was ashamed of being born in Appalachia.
It might be the negative things outsiders would say, the rocky history we've had with indigenous people, or the fact that my hometown really only consists of red supporters, but sometimes I still wonder if I should just...cut myself off from this area entirely so I'm not seen as a bad person. Because some left-leaning circles hated people from Appalachia, even if they were left-leaning.
Once again, I apologize for this oddly personal ask. I'm probably not the only one who has felt this way. XD
hey family sorry this has been sitting here a minute
this isn't nonsense nor is it oddly personal. i think it's a sentiment we have all felt at some point, including me
i used to try n distance myself from my roots, especially those few years i moved out. i hated myself, i was ashamed of where i came from.
hell even when i was a kid, i (and many of us) was actively distancing myself and trying to make myself look like 'one of the good ones' by getting rid of my accent
it took A LOT of self-work and soul searching (and being with yall on this blog) for me to decide i love myself, i love my roots. i do not love what appalachia is painted as and i do not love the racism and violence in our past (and present).
those things can all be true in one identity.
it's easy to want to escape the latter for comfort, but in my opinion, the best thing you can do is loudly love appalachia. acknowledge where we went wrong, and show that that is not all there is, and don't let them back u into a corner.
one of the biggest flaws of fellow leftists is writing us off. that's their work to do, not yours. your work is: acknowledging our harmful past, and actively working against it to make it better for current and future generations.
no one is gonna love your home as much as you do. so love her to death
hi. anon w the cousin back again. i have poetry i wrote for class about appalachia. its kinda mid but tbh i procrastinated the assignment until the last minute
realize, when face-to-face with God and war,
(when taking ten paces with Him)
that you have seen her for the final time
when delivering her eulogy
last summer is how you'll remember her
sharp edges, lightning and storm lanterns
there will be no more revisions,
additions, annotations, or editorial notes
and no new memories, either
you will never again look her in the eyes
or see how she breaks
how death comes and develops in her
no longer can you dream of
being the one to locate, identify, explain
every symptom and wound,
or days of dandelion dinners and
grinding stone against stone
by our old home int he hills
and when you say everyone leave her,
willingly and wantingly,
what made you think you wouldn't?
promising that you would always
have one foot in the door
until one or both of you died
you will come back after fifteen years of
torn lungs and bombed legs
only for her eulogy
and how could you not die in the war,
when you watched better brothers die,
when now there is no home
remember, you owe her for your selfishness,
for wanting to live and die
from a disease that wasn't hers
and now, she is found
in eulogies and
geological records
Have you seen the comic Hillbilly by Eric Powell? It's an Appalachian inspired fairy tale type thing. He wrote it to be family friendly but exciting. The author is from Tennessee.
ooo i have not! as a comic nerd this is exciting to hear about. i'll check it out, thank you kindly
fondly remembering that one MSNBC interview that took place shortly after vance announced he was running.. u know the one. andy beshear codeswitching his way through his displeasure then abruptly droppin his Polite Company Neutral Accent Voice n literally just goin
HE AIN'T FROM HERE
like i know we don't stan politicians but if we did
piggybacking on your post about blair mountain, a lesser known coal strike was the pittston strike, that happened primarily in southwest virginia in 1989 and 1990.
it started because pittston coal company terminated healthcare for retired miners, widows of miners, and disabled miners. it was almost a year of straight civil disobedience, as it lasted until about february 1990. it was mostly in dickenson county, wise county, and russell county virginia. my papaw worked for moss 3 mine in dickenson county, and therefore almost my entire family participated in the strikes. my mother walked out with her senior class to protest at the courthouse, my aunt protested, and my papaw loved some jack rocks.
even sister bernie kenny, a missionary who brought healthcare to the hollers of southwest virginia, would go 10 in a 25 driving in front of coal trucks. there are a couple documentaries out on youtube about it, and many news clips, and i recommend everyone to research it!
sorry for the rambling lol i feel so strongly about pittston since it happened in my backyard
do NOT be sorry, you are not rambling. this is so important!! thanks for taking time to share about it. wow. your kin made history :') thank yall for fighting for us
(as an aside, i was looking into more about it and i wanted to point out what google search results were showing because ugh)
coal mine violence fuck off. notice the domain name on the only one speaking negatively
In regards to the ask mentioning the cultural similarities between Scotland and Appalachia, there's a wonderful scene in the queer labor film *Pride* where a Welsh miner tells a youngin how the coal mined in the UK is from the same ancient formations that are mined in Appalachia--just separated by an ocean's worth of continental drift.
We're more connected by history, labor, and even geology than we realize.
🥺 a southern appalachian friend of mine recently visited wales and got so emotional because it was home even so far away. what a profound thing
we are certainly more connected than we realize. appalachia just had a big long stretch during the drift. her arms are still long enough to embrace us all
hi, anon with the cousin here. most excited to show them the hills, and flood season, and how loud thunder is, how bright lightning is; lightning bugs in jars, plantain leaves on bug bites, shaking cherry bugs and breathing deep. fog in the morning, painting our faces with ground up stones, dandelion dinners. biscuits and pork and apple sauce and beans. husks of old cars. deer and raccoons and owls. valleys and hollows. deep gashes and quarries and tunnels. abandoned gas stations and lumber mills and coal processing plants. creeking. throwing stickseeds at one another, laces socks shirts hair covered in them. placing blades of grass between the thumbs to create a whistle. tasting lemongrass for the first time. coldness at night. blue and gold. mushrooms and larvae and leaf litter.
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