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Winter storm cripples life in Texas; millions without power supply
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President Biden approved Texas’ emergency disaster proclamation on Sunday; orders federal assistance to supplement state, local storm response efforts, says statement from White House
Houstonians woke up to heaps of snow outside their homes on Monday morning, with brutally cold wind chill dipping temperatures into the teens and no electricity in most areas.
The entire state of Texas is under a winter storm warning. National Weather Service forecasters have extended the winter storm warning for the Houston area to 6 a.m. Thursday, as cold weather and the threat of more rain freezing or otherwise remain.
Ron Jenkins/GettyMillions of Texans are still without power, as a record cold snap continues to tax the statewide electric grid beyond its limit—but don’t blame it all on wind turbines.Contrary to some media reports, experts say frozen wind turbines are only a “tiny” piece of what’s gone wrong, which includes foul-ups in everything from natural gas and nuclear energy in addition to structural issues affecting the uniquely independent system Texas uses to deliver energy to its population.On Sunday, 10.1 inches of snow fell on San Angelo, Texas, eclipsing the record 2.5 inches the city got in 1951. The border city of Brownsville, Texas, declared its first winter storm watch in a decade, reporting snow for just the third time since 1898. Dallas and Houston are both experiencing sub-freezing temperatures, and Austin, where temperatures normally hover in the mid-60s this time of year, saw 6.4 inches of snow over the weekend—the deepest accumulation
The status and politics of the Texas power crisis
Photo: Montinique Monroe/Getty Images
More than 4.3 million Texas homes and businesses are without power as of Tuesday morning, per the tracking service poweroutage.us.
Why it matters: Bitter cold temperatures and winter storms are wreaking havoc on the power system in Texas and its refineries, and affecting other states too. The Texas power grid, powered largely by wind and natural gas, is relatively well equipped to handle the state’s hot and humid summers when demand for power soars. But unlike blistering summers, the severe winter weather delivered a crippling blow to power production, cutting supplies as the falling temperatures increased demand.