As the temperature dropped to historically-low levels in the Lone Star State on the days leading up to February 15th, 2021, the people and government of Texas were faced with a one of a kind crisis: a massive winter storm unlike anything they had ever seen before. The window to stock up on generators, supplies, and snow equipment had closed.
On Monday, temperatures drop to record-breaking lows: a bitter 5 degrees Fahrenheit in Dallas -- colder than it has been in the city since 1989. Austin and San Antonio drop to single-digit temperatures for the first time in over three decades. By early Monday morning, many residents of Texas are already experiencing blackouts after the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) announces it is experiencing a "record-breaking electric demand." The state government deployed the National Guard to conduct welfare checks and opened 135 warming centers.
By Tuesday, millions more Texans experience blackouts. Governor Greg Abbott says in a public statement slamming the ERCOT, "The Electric Reliability Council of Texas has been anything but reliable over the past 48 hours. Far too many Texans are without power and heat for their homes as our state faces freezing temperatures and severe winter weather." ERCOT updates their website to remove the names of all executives to make them harder to identify. As deaths rise, officials report dozens of cases of carbon dioxide poisoning due to people using their cars to stay warm. More areas begin reporting a new deadly problem: water shortages and disruptions. The city of San Antonio ordered its residents to boil their water before drinking it due to water leaks caused by weather conditions.
On Wednesday morning, at least 3.4 million Texans are still without power. According to an emergency ERCOT meeting on Wednesday, Texas' entire power grid was under five minutes away from completely collapsing. The council said that if they had not initiated controlled blackouts to stabilize the power grid, the system would have completely collapsed, resulting in Texans being out of power for weeks or even more. CEO Bill Magness says, "People feel like what we're seeing feels like a blackout, but the blackout that can occur if you don't keep the supply and demand in balance could last months."
As of Thursday, six members of the ERCOT have resigned. Most of Texas regains power, but over 200,000 customers still have not. Another wave of bitter temperatures initiates a hard freeze warning for over 22 million. According to Toby Baker, executive director for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, about 13.5 million people in Texas have experienced water disruptions, with nearly 800 water systems reporting issues related to the weather. About 725 systems were under a boil-water advisory. After a string of power outages and water shortages, Texans are faced with a new problem: food shortages. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller says, "Grocery stores are already unable to get shipments of dairy products. Store shelves are already empty," "We're looking at a food supply chain problem like we've never seen before, even with Covid-19."
On Friday, almost half of the state is still facing water disruptions. About 200,000 homes and businesses are without power. The state capital's water supply has lost 325 million gallons of water due to burst pipes, according to Austin's water director Greg Meszaros. President and CEO of Houston Methodist Dr. Marc Bloom, who runs seven hospitals in the Houston area, states that two of his facilities didn't have water for days, and even resorted to collecting rainwater to flush toilets. One Texan family has to melt snow and store it in their bathtub.
On Saturday, while 85,000 households are still without power, the end finally seems to be in sight. President Joe Biden approves emergency relief for Texas, allowing more federal resources and relief to assist families across the state. Officials begin investigating massive hikes in some customers' energy bills as a result of the winter storm. One veteran receives a $16,000 power bill for keeping his power on during the storm, cleaning out his savings completely. Governor Abbott says in a statement, "It is unacceptable for Texans who suffered through days in the freezing cold without electricity or heat to now be hit with skyrocketing energy costs." Abbott then met with Texas lawmakers and officials from other states to discuss how to "reduce the burden"and ensure that Texans are not held financially responsible for the storm's devastation.
Such a wild thing going on in Texas. We are used to cold weather and are prepared for it, but this never happens in Texas. I hope they figure out the electric bill issue!
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