Over the last several weeks, we've seen storm after storm after storm move through Texas and East Texas. These storms have produced tornadoes, heavy rain and strong winds. This has caused trees to go down, home and other structure damage and has knocked out power for hours or even days. One group of people that have been working tirelessly to get power back to us are the linemen/women who are called immediately after a storm's aftermath to get power back to us. They are not thanked enough so it's time they got the shine they deserve.

Dangers of the Job

We all face some kind of stress at our job. Believe it or not, even us in the radio business face various stresses. None of those stresses should be downplayed. But stress and danger are two totally different things. A dangerous job is being a lineman/woman. These men and women will get out in a pouring rain to reconnect 20,000 volts of electricity. Think about that, working with electricity while thousands of gallons of water are falling on you. That's dangerous.

There was an incident in Rains County on Tuesday, May 28, where a lineman was killed restoring power to that area after a storm (CBS 19). The details around his death have not be determined as of this writing. But that doesn't downplay the fact that this man, who is a husband and a father, lost his life to give us back the comforts we enjoy in our home. There is a GoFundMe set up for that family that has raised just over $20,000 that you can still donate to. Find it HERE.

Lindale was Dark Tuesday Morning

The powerful storms that moved through Monday night in East Texas knocked out power to 100,000 plus East Texans. The entire town of Lindale, where I live, had no power Monday night to about midday Tuesday. The only exception was the old 7-Eleven which was running off a generator. But think about this, those crews basically got an entire town back up and running by lunchtime. That's some hard work and dedication we may not have at our own jobs.

I have seen some of my own friends go on Facebook and complain because their power isn't back on even with them seeing these linemen/women working diligently to restore it. That, to me, is wrong. Those crews have to deal with trees that could fall on them, live power lines that are sparking on the ground, intense heat because there is no shade in those buckets and even a hard rain beating down on them.

The Scene in Tyler

Yesterday afternoon, June 4, I got these pictures of several crews set up at the Broadway Square Mall in Tyler.

Michael Gibson, Townsquare Media

There were also people saying they were set up at Home Depot, Planet Fitness and other lots in Tyler. The time has come to recognize what these men and women do for us after a storm has blown through. Yeah, we may be without AC and TV for a few hours but it will be back on. These men and women are taking time away from their families to make sure our families are able to enjoy the comforts of our homes and be able to work.

When you see these crews in your neighborhood, go out and thank them. Offer them some water. Make them a sandwich. Make sure they know they are appreciated for the dangerous and extremely hard work they have chosen to do to help us. Isn't that the definition of a hero?