Written by Dennis Harvell
The Freeze Arrives
The night before the storm, the Bronx went quiet in a way that didn’t feel natural.
No cars, no voices, no footsteps — just an eerie stillness hanging in the air. It was as if the whole borough had already decided to hunker down and wait for whatever was coming. The silence felt heavy, like the city was holding its breath.
I decided to walk to the local Stop & Shop, thinking I’d grab a few things before the snow started. The moment I stepped inside, it felt like a different world. The place was mobbed — lines snaking down the aisles, carts packed, people moving with that focused, storm‑is‑coming urgency. It looked less like a grocery store and more like a shelter before a hurricane.
The shelves were stripped bare.
Bread? Gone.
Milk? Gone.
Eggs? Forget it.
Even the fruit section looked like it had been raided.
Signs were taped everywhere telling people they were limiting purchases. At the time, I didn’t understand why. Later I realized the city was warning that deliveries might not get through for days. They were trying to prevent hoarding because the trucks weren’t guaranteed to make it.
I grabbed what I could — canned food, a loaf of bread I didn’t even like, whatever was left. I wasn’t worried; I had food at home. I just needed a few extras. But looking around, you could tell people were preparing for something serious. Not panic — preparation. A quiet understanding that the borough was about to shut down.
And they were right.
A few days after the storm, the shelves were empty again. No milk. No eggs. No basics. Even the comfort food was wiped out — chips, snacks, anything people could binge while riding out the cold. It felt like COVID all over again, but colder, quieter, heavier.
Now the sun shines through the window like it’s trying to fool you. It looks like a beautiful day until you see the trees whipping back and forth like they’re about to snap in the 50‑mph winds. The cold is brutal. The kind that makes you think twice before opening the door.
This winter didn’t visit — it took over.
