By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
About a dozen people stayed at the Bowie Community Center warming station which was set up Monday morning to provide a place for those without power or heat.
Throughout the week all across Texas families suffered through the cold as electric power went off due to rolling blackouts or storm damage.
The blackouts initiated by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas were reportedly suppose to cycle in 15-20 minute blocks, but many parts of the state lost power for days.
In Montague County there were electrical outages throughout the rural countryside, as well as the rural communities around Sunset. The outages came on nights where weather records were broken as the temperature dropped to below zero ranging from two below to nine below.
Several county churches provided assistance where possible, but when the outages continued into Monday two warming centers were established in Bowie and Saint Jo.
On Monday Mayor Gaylynn Burris and City Manager Bert Cunningham, along with city staff and volunteers began to set up the center to provide a warm refuge.
“The Montague County Emergency Communications team was getting word a lot of residences in the southern part of the county had no electricity and no place to get warm. We opened up the center, but also knew we may be on a rolling blackout list; which did not happen and we maintained power. Those who were helped were very appreciative and the volunteers and community were a great help providing three meals a day,” said Burris.
Saint Jo Independent School District opened its cafeteria as a center, but it was moved Tuesday to the Saint Jo Fire Hall. Fire Chief Scott Thomas said they had one family that stayed one night and they went to a motel the next afternoon.

Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.