This post appeared on Harold Nicoll’s Substack and on the htttps://swampbutt.com website. Here in Southeast Texas, weather is not small talk. It shapes how people dress, how they work, how they commute, go to school and how comfortable—or uncomfortable—the day-to-day man feels just getting through his routine.
Most of the time, that conversation revolves around heat and humidity. Sometimes, though, the weather reminds us it has other conditions many of which are unfamiliar.
Winter Storm Fern was one of those moments.
The greater Houston area ultimately avoided the worst of the predicted ice, though freezing temperatures lingered longer than many expected. Other parts of the country were not as fortunate, dealing with power outages, hazardous roads, and the long tail of recovery that follows any widespread cold event.
That contrast is worth paying attention to—not to relitigate the forecast, but to understand how people experience weather in real life. And to remember that there is no downside to over-preparing for any crisis.
Forecasts Don’t Land Evenly While People Still Have to Prepare
One of the quiet challenges with weather events in regions like Southeast Texas is that forecasts rarely happen the same way everywhere. Conditions can shift block by block, county by county.
Winter Storm Fern traversed most of the lower forty-eight states but delivered only a glancing blow to the Greater Houston area. Predicting the future in general, including the weather is problematic at best. But people still must make decisions:
- Do I change my travel plans?
- Do I drip the faucet all night?
- Should I wrap the outside pipes?
- Do I wait until the last minute to make decisions and accept the consequences whether good or bad?
Those decisions are usually made under stress, fatigue, and uncertainty—not ideal conditions for absorbing long lists of instructions or dramatic warnings. Preparedness, in that sense, is not about predicting the future perfectly. It’s about helping people make safer or better choices as conditions evolve.
No Such Thing As Over Prepared
For people in Southeast Texas who feel that they over prepared or were somehow ‘misled’ by forecasters take heart; the next weather-related emergency is a certainty. It may not be an ice storm, snow outbreak, or pipe-busting freeze. Spring will bring thunderstorms, derechos and tornados. Summer and fall birth hurricanes with high winds and floods. Your canned goods, bottled water and generator fuel will come in handy at some point. Should they not be useful, donate to someone who needs them in another part of the country. Regardless, there is little downside to storm preparations.
The Risks Often Come After the Storm
Another reality that often gets lost: many winter-related injuries and emergencies happen after the worst weather passes. Extended freezes bring secondary risks—improper heating, carbon monoxide exposure, refreezing roads, downed power lines, and delayed power restoration. Even when the ice doesn’t materialize locally, the cold itself still changes behavior in ways that matter.
That’s why measured, practical guidance remains useful even when a storm “misses.”
A Short Winter Storm Safety Checklist
For anyone dealing with extended cold—here or elsewhere—these basics still apply:
- Stock food that does not require electricity for several days,
- Avoid using open flames, grills, or propane heaters indoors,
- Layer clothing and cover your head, neck, and ears to retain body heat,
- Keep generators and fuel-powered equipment outdoors and away from enclosed spaces,
- Avoid all downed power lines and assume they are live,
- Stay off icy roads unless travel is absolutely necessary,
- Expect delays in power restoration and plan accordingly.
None of this is dramatic. That’s the point.
Why We Pay Attention to Weather at SwampButt Underwear™
At SwampButt Underwear™, we follow weather closely because it directly affects comfort and behavior—especially in places like Southeast Texas, where heat and humidity dominate most of the year. Our mascot, Rufus, exists for the same reason. As an anthropomorphic alligator who always wears SwampButt Underwear, he’s not there to dramatize conditions or make light of them. He reflects how people live with the weather—adjusting, layering, waiting things out, and learning as they go.
Whether it’s a brutal summer afternoon or an unexpected cold snap, weather shapes how the day-to-day man experiences work, travel, and life. Paying attention to those conditions—and how people respond to them—matters more than reacting loudly to every forecast.
When it comes to safety, the goal isn’t alarm. It’s clarity.
A Closing Note
Winter Storm Fern ultimately impacted different regions in different ways. In Southeast Texas, the most severe ice conditions did not materialize, while other parts of the country experienced outages, travel delays and hazardous conditions. We prepared materials in advance so they would be available if needed and used them selectively as conditions evolved. That’s how preparedness should work. Weather does not always follow scripts. Responsible communication should not either. As the conditions change, we will continue to assess, plan, reassess, change plans, adapt, improvise and overcome.