By: Isabelle Baier
Houston’s chief elected official warned her constituents about an incoming hurricane, and that those who could prepare themselves by stocking up on food did so. Nonprofit and government agencies set out to help those who couldn’t help themselves. But few foresaw the fiasco that was to come.
As temperatures dropped and snow and ice tormented the state, most of Texas’ power grid collapsed, soon followed by their water systems. Many of its 29 million people grasped for survival in their frigid homes. At one hospital, employees stood outside collecting rain water, while others waited in line at a park fountain. College professors fundraised so their students could afford food for themselves.
The state’s Republican leaders were blamed for ignoring the warnings that something like this would happen, and it did. They were also blamed for not informing local officials with enough information to protect the citizens.
Centerpoint Energy, a local energy provider, had said that they would be able to “roll” power outages between homes. As it turns out, they told the public lies, and were unable to control the power outages as they had said they could. Now instead of short periods of heat, enough to keep their homes safe, residents would have to go without power for days on end.
Power outages spiraled and grocery stores closed while hotel prices skyrocketed. People that went to stay with family or friends had to worry about spreading the coronavirus. What if a friend opened their home and then caught COVID? It’s a risk many were willing to take.
Southwest Power Pool, a major power-grid company, manages the electric grid in all of Oklahoma and Kansas, and parts of Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, New-Mexico, and Nebraska. Officials in Alabama and Kentucky confirmed that residents in their state had lost power.
SPP ordered rolling blackouts because of the storm, and they weren’t the only ones. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas issued rolling blackouts in Texas as well. Extremely cold weather and snow is rare in Texas, and the National Weather Service tweeted that the temperature was negative 2 degrees Fahrenheit, the coldest temperature in that region in 32 years.
Dozens of people are dead because of hypothermia, carbon monoxide poisoning, crashes on the icy roads, among other things. An exact number may not be calculated for weeks or even months.
In Abilene, a 60-year-old man was found dead in his home by first-responders. His wife, who was taken to a nearby hospital, said that they hadn’t had power for three days. Fire department members said the house was as cold inside as it was outside.
Dr. Justin Fairness cautioned that people should still be taking precautions, like wearing a mask and social distancing. COVID-19 remains a very real threat as people gather in shelters or in the homes of friends and family.
“If you think you have something going on medically, don’t just sit at home and hope it passes,” he said. “Get medical care.” He warned Texans not to avoid seeking treatment if they felt ill.
Sources
- https://www.texastribune.org/2021/02/19/texas-power-outage-winter-storm-deaths/
- https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/power-failure-winter-storm-pushed-texas-crisis-76029228
- https://www.insider.com/texas-snow-storm-blackouts-states-power-grid-electricity-energy-emergency-2021-2
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/death-toll-winter-storm/2021/02/16/f46b1b26-7092-11eb-93be-c10813e358a2_story.html