Final thoughts

This time of year my thoughts often turn to the weather. Specifically yesterday, heat cranked up, as I sped to a café because of an Internet service outage. It was cold here in Austin, Texas. Might’ve even dipped down into the teens in the last couple of days. And while the folks in the Midwest and Northeast may scoff at such balmy temperatures, it hits different here. The city sends out text messages telling you to stock up on vital supplies and prepare for the apocalypse.

Of course, a main worry is the electrical grid. When that goes down, all bets are off. People’s minds turn to the great Snowmageddon of the winter of 2021, which left nearly 10 million people without power, mostly in Texas. The National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) called it The Great Texas Freeze. THE NCEI said water pipes burst and “boil water advisories” were issued in many counties. Of course, following Murphy’s Law, this all took place during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ethan Bernard

Ethan Bernard is managing editor for Steel Market Update. He previously worked for American Metal Market as a copy editor in the New York office for two years, starting in 2008. Later, he copy edited AMM’s monthly magazine on a freelance basis from 2015 until 2017. With experience in financial copywriting and textbook publishing, he holds a BA in Comparative Literature from UC Berkeley, and an MFA in Creative Writing from New York University. He can be reached at ethan@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-759-7871.

Ethan Bernard

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