Managing the Texas Spring 2021 Snowstorm with BCFS Health and Human Services

The collection of spring 2021 snowstorms brought misery and confusion across Texas. Noted as one of the costliest disasters in the state’s history, the storms brought flooding, property damage, and widespread power outages that put millions of people at risk from cold temperatures. The relief efforts for Texans to get through the snowstorms required multiple organizations and local governments to work together. Leading the way for these efforts was BCFS Health and Human Services, a nonprofit organization specializing in emergency management, remote medical services, residential and mental health services, and a range of other capabilities.

The organization’s work in the state included helping residents and business owners in San Antonio. It created a warming center in the area filled with blankets, cots, and generator-powered heat for up to 500 individuals. It supplied the San Antonio Food Bank with pallets full of bottled water, along with other local organizations in need.

Some of BCFS Health and Human Services’ facilities were not able to function properly due to the disaster, so BCFS provided them with temporary emergency generators and distributed water and food. Many of the organization’s staff members put in additional hours outside of their normal job duties to ensure those under BCFS Health and Human Services’ care receive everything they needed to get through the storm.

Breckenridge Village of Tyler (BVT), a nonprofit that provides residential care to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, also required assistance during the storm. The facility lost power due to icy conditions and widespread blackouts and needed to shift residents to a centralized location to help them stay warm. BVT organized a move to the facility’s chapel where emergency generators and water helped residents whether the storm safely.

BCFS Health and Human Services also aided its educational facilities located in southern rural Texas. These centers partner with local schools to provide quality educational services to residents. Many of these school facilities flooded during and after the storm, and BCFS Health and Human Services managed pipe repairs, flood remediation, and other services to restore power and bring the schools back to operational status.