In the wake of Tuesday’s storms that caused a multiday power outage across northern Texas, many Dallas residents have been seeking refuge in public spaces to cool off, charge their electronics and access the internet.
The Richardson Public Library, which relocated to a smaller, temporary location last September, typically sees about 600 patrons a day, director of library services Jennifer Davidson said. After Tuesday’s storms, the library was bustling with many more visitors. Davidson said 1,150 patrons came to the library Tuesday, more than 1,300 patrons came Wednesday and 760 patrons came Thursday.
“We’re open 9 to 9. So [patrons] were here, you know, they would stay all day, some of them,” Davidson said. “As we closed, they were still waiting for people to leave.”
The library is operating out of a temporary location on Campbell Creek Boulevard while its permanent location on Civic Center Drive is under construction. Although the space is smaller, Davidson said they were still able to accommodate the boom in visitors with extra chairs, tables and power strips.
“We were really busy,” she said. “So we have extra staff. Some staff were impacted by the storm, but they came in, too. They were happy to get out of their house without power. So I think we were ready for it.”
Ten minutes before the library opened Friday, about a dozen patrons waited in their cars and lined up outside the door.
Some of the first people in were Gabi Wolsfeld and her two youngest children. Wolsfeld, a stay-at-home mother of five, said a tree fell on the power line that leads directly to their house. Friday was the first day Wolsfeld and her children visited the library while they remained without power so that the kids could get out of the house.
“The kids love to read,” she said. “And I called and made sure they had internet and air conditioning.”
Dallas-Forth Worth area libraries have also served as a hub for residents working from home during the outage. Kennedy Luckey, a 27-year-old who works remotely, said that he’s been at the Richardson Public Library every day since Tuesday.
“It’s been a struggle to find internet,” Luckey said. “I come here when the library opens and closes, and then go back to a hot house.”
“I think the second worst thing is just sleeping in sweat,” he added.
While Oncor estimated power would be restored some time Friday or Saturday, Luckey said that he has “seen no progress.”
“There are trees that have fallen over in my alleyway that took down my lines, and those haven’t been cleared,” he said. “And I haven’t been able to get ahold of [Oncor]. I mean, I’ve texted them, but I just get automated messages. I’ve tried calling them too, but you can’t ahold [of them].”
Luckey said the library has provided an air-conditioned workspace and internet, but there aren’t many alternatives for beating the heat and staying plugged in after hours.
“If I don’t hear anything or see anything done by like Saturday evening, I’ll probably have to get a hotel,” he said.
Selene Fernandez, a circulation representative at the Dallas Library, said the library “was packed” Tuesday morning.
“We had a bunch of families just charging their phones, so every day we’ve been very busy,” she said. “But today some families had the power returning back and at 10 a.m. they had gotten a notification, so they left.”
Paula Etschman, a 71-year-old who lives in Richardson, said that she’s visited the Heights Recreation Center every day since Tuesday to charge her phone and stay cool. To keep herself entertained, she reads and plays games on her phone in the center’s lobby. After losing all of the food in her refrigerator, she has been eating out every day and charging her phone wherever she can.
“When I go out to eat, I’ll plug it in,” Etschman said. “I ask them at the restaurant. And I went to the laundromat and I was able to plug it in there, and it takes a while.”
“I spent an hour at the laundromat and have been here [at the recreation center] about an hour now, and my battery is not quite full,” she added.
Etschman’s greatest concern is the temperature of her house, which she described as “steaming hot.”
“I really didn’t sleep last night because it’s so hot,” she said. “I can’t see anything in the house because I didn’t have a candle … I mean, I can’t do anything. Can’t read because it’s too dark, can’t watch TV, and I live alone, so there’s nothing.”
