Kenyans in the US have shared their experiences following a deep freeze dubbed polar vortex witnessed in different states this week.
Sam Kimani, a Kenyan living in Springfield, Illinois says he was trapped in his apartment for three days since Wednesday without food or even a shower.
“The taps are frozen so I can’t shower. The state of emergency is still on so I can’t order pizza or any other fresh foods,” Kimani told Daily Nation via phone.
“I should be on my third double shift by now but here I am in this cold house. Please, can somebody come and take me back to Kenya where crazy natural disasters like this one never happen?”
The deep freeze mostly hit states in Midwest and Northeast with temperatures dropping below -50 degrees in some areas.
Njeri Osaak, a Kenyan in Cincinnati Ohio says it would still be cold even if one cranked the heater up to 75 degrees centigrade.
“The water does not get hot enough. You dress up and layer up when going to bed and gradually undress as you get warmer. Open the door in the morning and you get hit by this ice cold blast,” she explains.
“The car won’t start. The sun is actually out but it might as well not be. It’s a cold sun. Hell has frozen over.”
Prof. Kefa Otiso, a lecturer at Bowling Green State University, says: “Can’t remember Bowling Green canceling classes for two days in a row. The irony has been the deceptively sunny but bitterly cold days. This one has shattered decades-old records.”
Many Kenyans in the US, especially those in areas affected by the polar vortex, say it is such harsh weather conditions that make Kenya a beautiful and blessed country.
“In Kenya, we may be poor but God has spared us from natural disasters that wealth and science can’t stop,” says Kevin Mango of Lewis, Delaware
“It’s one of the reasons why for most of us, even though we live here in body, our souls and spirits are always back home, where we were born and raised.”
’Its one of the reasons why…
’Its one of the reasons why for most of us, even though we live here in body, our souls and spirits are always back home, where we were born and raised.”
Someone said it best.
FG2 & co, how are you guys…
FG2 & co, how are you guys fairing? Hope you are not cut off from key services. We have it here but not to magnitude seen in US.
@Sukari( are you in UK btw?…
@Sukari( are you in UK btw?), the East Coast was not soo badly hit like the Prairie people( reminds of a show on KBC eons ago showing the sunflower prairies not winter lol) , luckily I didn’t have to be out there , so I hunkered in for 2 days.
Today tuko sawa, its warmer and next week it will be a taste of spring after the groundhog (smh) said so!
Nairobi dreaming on such a…
Nairobi dreaming on such a cold day.
MD Windsor Mill was slightly…
MD Windsor Mill was slightly fair lowest 7 degree Faregheit BGE Electric was up 24/7 schools did close 1 day a few delays.We thank God always prepare have emergency kits dry food..water.battery Radio phone power back etc good enough 4 two weeks depending on size of Family.
From Meteorological…
From Meteorological Temperature convertion USA Uses F (Faregheit) where boiling point is 212F =100C
Formula F-32 x5/9 = Degree Centigrade ie 212-32 x5/9 gives you water boiling point of 100C…if you set your Thermostat at 75F then your +254 Temp will be….?? (24C) This can make one get to how cold it was ie up to -54F..8F..-7F
@Romeo23. Why not type…
@Romeo23. Why not type convert F to C in computer or cell phone and put the numbers. That is the simplest way to do it.
Old is gold I learned it be4…
Old is gold I learned it be4 google/YouTube was wide spread needless to say in +254 safaricon with bundles on google/ Utube costed more than a pen and paper.Tks though
-30F air temp / -50F wind…
-30F air temp / -50F wind-chill is what I had on Wednesday. Balaclava and 5 layers on upper body, woolen scarves, thermal underwear I wore. Car had new battery, so no problem there. Polar vortex is no joke in the mid West. Fortunately schools were closed for 4 days.
I think this polar vortex’s …
I think this polar vortex’s must re-route to Africa next time; it will be so frigid cold the corrupt African politicians will be forced to keep their hands in their own pockets for once! It’s the only viable way to save money to repay the Chinese.
OHHHHHH ALL THIS LITTLE…
OHHHHHH ALL THIS LITTLE GIRLS CRYING OF COLD WEATHER PLEASEEE .MAN UP
FG2, glad to hear all is…
FG2, glad to hear all is good. Yes, based in UK, London. We had mockery of it, just teasing us. Some parts of the country were affected deep. I can’t stand extremes, cold or heat. Moderation is my thing.
Ok cool. Yeah that was just…
Ok cool. Yeah that was just a tip of the ice that you got there :-). When I cross the Atlantic maybe I will look for you 🙂
Hehehehe i don’t miss that…
Hehehehe i don’t miss that stupid weather ya the place pple call majuu maheaven.Usa/uk was not ment for human beings in winter times or even is some summer days!But njikazeni juu hakuna mtu anawalazimisha mkae huko mandugu zangu n stop complaining of the weather!Personally i lived there so it all n i thank God but i decided enough is enough n i got my freedom back of being a human being again when i came back to kenya where u don’t need a lot to survive n u don’t have to drive or have a big hse or work tripples or doubles to survive?Life is very simple n about 85% of us don’t understand it.Wr busy chasing the money wealth working like shit thinking that is what life is??My pple the day u will understand what life is m how simple it’s supposed to b yr happiness will begin from there.I thank mwene nyaga for opening my eyes showing we an easy life n am happy happy today life coz i know understand the meaning of living!!!!
I knew you were going to say…
I knew you were going to say some stupid shit because your life seems so empty . Personally, I enjoy the weather change throughout the year, there is something magical be it Spring with its new life – beautiful flowers, clean fresh air, rain showers, bees , then come summer , all thing summer, hot sun, variety of activities , lazy afternoons etc. Then romantic autumn with that nice pumpkin soup, awesome foliage, nice walk watching squirrels prepare for hibernation – something so awesome about that. Come winter, cozying inside , fireplace, cocoa, white snow, and if you are alive you know it just does not last forever. You see some of us find beauty in all that BUT you sad person, you do not realize Kenya goes through same cyclical weather and yes the foliage changes too there in June -August, esp if you drive through Laikipia ,even huko kwenu Limuru you get semi winter and y’all complain about same shitty weather in January with the dust, heat etc and the heavy rains na matope , so wacha kujifanya hapa, bure kabisa ! In july you all sit and complain kuna baridi nonsense, if you call any Kenyan in June -August , everyone there is complaining how cold it is- or are they just faking it or not as human as us when weather gets to the extreme?I called some people today huko and all they bitched about is how hot it is -so are they entitled to complain about the weather but Mhalisi will not allow us to complain . “Tiga urimu” You need to find beauty in life and stop your freaking hating, live and let live. I love America and things it accords me and I love Kenya equally for the things that it does as well. I do not live with hate , life is too short .
And yes fr freaking 5 years…
And yes fr freaking 5 years you hav told us you lived “there” in the ghetto where life was tough for you , too bad , life was not easy for you and you had to take your sorry self back to Kenya or maybe you were deported. If Kenya is all wonderful , wtf are you doing here on Mwakilishi, shouldn’t be “kularing hepi” huko paradiso? Stop forcing us to our throats to your single mindedness living, some of us like to explore other worlds, as God created it to be explored, Kenya is a small % of what consist of the world and if I had money I would book virgin Galactic to go to space , and you can now say that was not meant to be visited by Mwene nyaga lol!!!!!
FG2 continue yapping bratha…
FG2 continue yapping bratha!Mwakilishi is open to everyone n u don’t need to agree or even read what pple r writing so please get yr life of heaven majuu fixed!Am not gonna stoop to low to call u names.Bure kabisa.
I’m not a bratha!!!!!!!
I’m not a bratha!!!!!!!
Lakini wewe Mkenya Halisi,…
Lakini wewe Mkenya Halisi, nani amekuomba advice? Unafikiria sisi si ni wanyama gani? On this one, I would rather have FG2’s life than yours. Life sio tu kuchukua rent, kununua mbuloti, na kulea kuku. Some of these things we do even while we are here in majuu anyway. There is more thrill to life than that though. Hata Kenya mnajikaza na joto kama hii https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2019/02/04/brace-for-harsh-sunny-weather-in-february-met_c1889457, kwa hivyo sioni shida ya winter au summer. Bora uwe umejitayarisha. Na kama majuu sio heaven, hebu nenda huka Embassy ya Umarekani Nairobi ukawambie hao wakenya wamepanga line hivyo, wakitafuta visa. So in short, give advice to those that ask for it. Wachana na sisi. Sio shida yako.
@Anos those folks lining up…
@Anos those folks lining up r desperate in their lives.They have bin brainwashed that u can only succeed in majuu.The onces going to study have bin brainwashed that only usa/uk education system is the best than ours which is hogwash.Going to the west have brot brain drain to our society’s.Am not saying that going to majuu is thaattt bad but majority of we the black stupid African niggas have bin brainwashed n raped into our minds that we don’t see opportunities here in Africa but we see them in majuu.Sucess is where ur??I have said confortable rich Africans r in Africa n Poor onces wako majuu.So @Anos those lining up at embassies r confused,brainwashed but it’s their rights to do so.Haters can now call me names.
I highly doubt this mkenya…
I highly doubt this mkenya has even ever been to USA. Or even has ever left kenya for anywhere.
FG2..karibu! Just holler in…
FG2..karibu! Just holler in advance!