Frozen Moments and Unexpected Perks: A Journalist's Night in the Ice Storm

As I pen down these words, I find myself enjoying an unexpected day off courtesy of the weather. The campus is closed due to the plummeting temperatures, a rare occurrence for those accustomed to the relentless pace of news reporting.

The narrative takes us back to January 16, 2017, a challenging week for my family marked by the passing of my aunt Debbie. Residing in Wichita, Kansas at the time, we returned from her funeral in Columbus, Kansas only to be greeted by the imminent threat of an ice storm, compelling my station to gear up for coverage.Anticipating a night in Pratt, Kansas, I couldn't shake the concern for my wife Maria and our two young children. The specter of a power outage weighed heavily on my mind as I braced for potential hazards. Arriving in Pratt on a Saturday evening with my reporter, we readied ourselves for live shots contingent on the unpredictable weather.

That Saturday night turned out to be uneventful, with rain instead of ice. However, it did come with its perks – a steak dinner covered by the station and the luxury of getting paid to watch the NFL playoffs in the hotel while on standby. Going to bed that night, uncertainty loomed regarding our coverage. No ice had hit Pratt by then, but a 3 am wake-up call changed our course to Medicine Lodge due to reports of increased ice activity. An unwelcome disruption to a deep sleep, this call was a reminder of the challenges of working in news. Navigating unfamiliar roads in the dark, with the added threat of icy conditions, was far from enticing. Fortunately, upon reaching Medicine Lodge, we found the city powered and the roads surprisingly smooth – a relief after the potential havoc of an ice storm.

The breaking news nature of the situation led to an extended morning show, a common occurrence for a boss who deemed nearly everything as breaking news. The broadcast felt like an endless stream of live shots, capturing the unfolding events. Before our return to Wichita, we engaged with a family to discuss the impact of the ice storm on their lives. A lighthearted moment amidst the chaos was the sight of a tree with a nailed box, humorously labeled "keep frozen," hinting at its previous contents. This amusing snapshot found its way onto my social media, a moment of levity in the midst of weather-related challenges.