AUSTIN — Even after the state has mostly thawed out from last month’s winter storm, many Texans are still dealing with the impact. 

What You Need To Know

  • Many Texans are still reeling from the aftermath of February's winter storm

  • The Mount Carmel Apartments in East Austin has been without gas for two weeks following the storm

  • Neighbors have come together to assist each other during this time of need with the help of some grassroots volunteers

Residents at one apartment complex in East Austin say the gas has been shut off for two weeks now. 

Without a working stove or hot water, one mother of six just wants to know when the problem will be fixed. 

“2020 was hard and even 2021 is still hard," says Shakita Hawthorne. 

When February’s winter storm hit Austin, Hawthorne says her family was lucky to be prepared with ample groceries and candles. 

“I was really thankful that we had what we had at the time," says Hawthorne. 

Her family was able to stay warm, even without power. But then she says, without any advanced notice from the complex, her gas shut off. 

“I was like what is what's going on, like why is my gas out? I like never had a problem with the gas being out," says Hawthorne, who has lived at the Mount Carmel Apartments in East Austin for nine to ten years now. 

According to the leasing office, the gas to the apartment complex shut off on February 20, and still hasn't been restored.

The complex’s property management company says it has a crew working on fixing the issue, and that staff offered residents electric warmers, space heaters, and the opportunity to stay in a hotel. 

Hawthorne claims that isn’t true. She says that management never notified her of those resources, and took four to five days after the gas had shut off to notify residents about the issue. ​

After Spectrum News 1 reached out to the complex's property management company, Hawthorne says some residents received an email offering hotel accommodations. 

But she says it’s “too little too late” to be offering hotel stays now when her family has been without a working stove or hot water for two weeks. She continues that this should have happened during the week of the winter storm or even the following week. 

“It's been hard… We don't have burners, you know, so most people have burners. That, we wasn't prepared for," says Hawthorne. 

She’s been using her air fryer and griddle to make hot food, and her microwave to warm water. 

“That's the basics of how we’re surviving right now in order to make food and keep the kids happy," says Hawthorne. “I can’t complain because complaining doesn't get you anywhere. So, at the end of the day, you just have to do what you have to do for your family.” 

She started reaching out to grassroots volunteers, who have been working with her to bring hot meals to her complex for her fellow residents this past week. 

“We have a lot of elderly here who are not able to leave, who don't have phones. When I finally realized that, when I was walking door to door and realized how many elderly people are disabled in here, it really hurt me," says Hawthorne. 

She says the most important thing to her is doing what she can to take care of her neighbors. 

“My neighbors, we really all came together to help figure this out. It wasn't just me. It was a lot of us. If no one else will fight for us, we'll fight for each other," says Hawthorne. 

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