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Background:      

A “generational winter storm” has been hitting the south in the past few days with temperatures unusually cold with multiple inches of snow. Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida are the states experiencing this brutal weather. There have been widespread school closures and flight cancellations and road closures throughout these states. Many residents of southern states are experiencing this for the first time in their lives and learning how to deal with these extreme temperatures as they go.

Narrative:

         In act one of the story structures, the background that I have mentioned would be setting up the scene, explaining how this kind of weather is unimaginable for southern states, yet it is happening to them, and they must learn how to survive with something they have never experienced before. In the CNN article, they showed a picture of a mother, Lesley Martin, and her 4-year-old daughter, Layla Richardson, walking through the snow in New Orleans. In a narrative story, we could follow the mother and daughter while they try to navigate the extreme conditions and how it has been affecting them personally. Act two of the structure with the problems heading for crisis: the daughter may be in daycare but with closures, she may not be able to be at school which may be hard for her mother. 4-year-old Layla is most likely depending on her mother to get them through the bitter cold, but her mom may also be experiencing this weather for the first time as well, yet she must remain brave for her child. Act three could include how Lesley has been getting herself and her daughter through the storm and what their next steps are to be prepared if this were to happen again.

Lesley Martin and her 4-year-old daughter Layla Richardson walk on a snow covered street in New Orleans Tuesday morning. Gerald Herbert/AP

         The CNN article also included a screenshot of a post from the University of Houston showing the snow on campus. A different focus of the story could be how this is affecting college students in the south and how they are dealing with this when it comes to going to class and staying warm. Many students in Houston may have never experienced this weather before and are learning how to handle it all at once and some from out of state who have experienced it may be helping those who haven’t.

This story is better as a narrative because it adds characters and personality to it. Instead of the headline saying: “Historic snow amounts are falling in Florida, Louisiana and Texas as a once-in-a-generation storm hits” it could say: “Mother and 4-year-old daughter learn to navigate once in a lifetime winter snowstorm in the south”

This adds more intrigue and heartfelt meaning because people want to know how this mother and child are making it through these temperatures. The five Ws would turn it into a story by saying Who: mother and daughter, What: learn to survive historic snow storm, When: January 2025, once in a generation snowstorm for many people, Where: Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida, Why: the mother and daughter must learn how to adapt to this weather while the storm hits their area.

CNN Article: https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/21/weather/winter-storm-south-tuesday-hnk/index.html