08/12/2026
Tonight, more than 300,000 homes and businesses across our region are sitting in the dark. Families have lost power, businesses and homes have been damaged, and countless people are waking up tomorrow to fallen trees, destroyed property, and the overwhelming task of cleaning up what Mother Nature left behind.
Moments like these remind us that storms don’t care about our differences. They don’t ask where we’re from, what we believe, or what we have. They affect us all.
If there was ever a time for our communities to come together, it’s now.
Check on your neighbors. Help an elderly resident clear branches from their yard. Offer someone a phone charger, a hot meal, bottled water, or even just a few encouraging words. If you have power, maybe invite someone over to cool off, charge their devices, or simply take a break. The smallest act of kindness can mean everything to someone having one of the hardest days they’ve had in a long time.
And if your family is one of the many sitting in the dark tonight, don’t let the outage steal every moment. Sometimes the best memories are made when life forces us to slow down.
❤️ Have a flashlight scavenger hunt around the house.
❤️ Tell funny stories or family memories by flashlight.
❤️ Build a blanket fort and pretend you’re camping.
❤️ Play cards or your favorite board games.
❤️ Have a glow-stick dance party.
❤️ Roast marshmallows over a safe fire pit if you have one.
❤️ Go outside and look at the stars—without city lights, they can be more beautiful than ever.
❤️ Play “20 Questions,” charades, or Would You Rather.
❤️ Let everyone share their favorite family memory and create a new one tonight.
❤️ End the evening by reminding each other just how grateful you are to have one another.
Electricity will come back.
Trees can be cleaned up.
Homes can be repaired.
Businesses can rebuild.
But the kindness we show one another during moments like this… that’s what people remember forever.
To everyone affected by tonight’s storms, please stay safe, be patient with the first responders and utility crews working tirelessly around the clock, and don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it.
Let’s prove that even after the darkest storms, our community can shine brighter than ever. ❤️🙏
