Welcome to another Wednesday in the Hub City, where “infrastructure” is more of a theoretical concept than a physical reality. Today’s forecast features a delightful mix of 50 mph dirt-gusts, schools that can’t keep the lights on, and a casual neighborhood evacuation because some contractor—yet again—forgot how to use an excavator without hitting a gas main.
The Great LISD Séance
First up, Lubbock ISD is currently playing a high-stakes game of “Red Light, Green Light” with their electricity. Multiple campuses are reporting intermittent power outages because, apparently, our school buildings are powered by thoughts, prayers, and a single copper wire held together by a piece of Hub City BBQ brisket. LISD sent out an alert basically saying, “Yeah, the lights are flickering, but don’t worry, the kids are safe.” Sure, they’re safe—they just can’t see their desks. It’s not a “power failure”; it’s an “unplanned lesson in 19th-century frontier living.”
18th & Toledo: The Central Lubbock Gas Gala
Meanwhile, over near 18th and Toledo, things are literally getting explosive. Lubbock Fire Rescue had to evacuate 17 homes after a “third party” (read: someone who definitely didn’t call 811) sliced through a four-inch gas line. LP&L did their part by cutting the power to the entire block between Quaker and Utica—because nothing says “safety” like sitting in a dark, cold house while the smell of rotten eggs wafts through your vents. Atmos is currently “waiting for the gas to thin out,” which is also my strategy for dealing with the Lubbock city council.
The Local “Fan” Club
Social media is, predictably, a dumpster fire of dust and resentment. Over on the local subreddits and Facebook groups, the vibe is “Peak Lubbock.”
- The Climate Denial: “It’s not a ‘Wind Advisory,’ it’s just Lubbock breathing.”
- The Infrastructure Truthers: “We pay $400 a month to LP&L so they can turn our power off the second a tumbleweed hits a transformer? Makes sense.”
- The Realists: “I’ve lived here 20 years and I still haven’t figured out why we build things out of wood and hope when we live in a literal wind tunnel.”
- The Gas Leak Gallows Humor: “At least if the gas ignites, we won’t have to worry about the dust anymore.”
“Is it even a school day in Lubbock if you don’t lose power at least twice and inhale a pound of Topsoil?” — Average Lubbock Parent on X
If the wind keeps up at this rate, do you think we can finally blow the entire city over to a place with better drainage and a functional power grid, or are we stuck here until the next gas line gives up the ghost?
