Nuclear-Level Annihilation Coming for Texas (Houston, Dallas: live in, centers, areas)

[TamaraSavannah]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

I feel they have a right to be pissed, I’m not sure what could have been done to prevent this but there are states and countries that see this kind of stuff regularly and nothing like this ever happens. I get that it doesn’t happen here enough to justify planning for but .. something definitely should be done to make sure it never happens again. It seems like failures in winterizing equipment and lack of proper fuel levels.

Temperatures as low as they were without power for heat for days is enough to kill an unprepared human.

Be careful what you wish for for I can think of things that can be done so that never happens again.....and they aren't too pleasant.
EDIT:On the lighter side, just was out there in my indoor sweats and outdoor jeans, boots, hat, and field jacket to make an outdoor inspection and a needed repair, if temporary, to the well. Yesterday, it was a blanket of snow; today, it is more slush with the ground melting through.

[High_Plains_Retired]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

I’m no expert but it’s possible that grids on more rural circuits would not have been impactful enough on the power grid to rotate blackouts, add to that rural communities have much less in the way of disaster relief in the event heating fails.

That rural areas tend to draw less on the supporting grid had crossed my mind as well. Then too, I agree that rural people have to be more often prepared for such weather emergencies. Most of us have 4x4s, generators, storm cellars, first aid kits, appropriate hot or cold clothing and some even equipment to fight small local fires and flooding.

As the doorway to bad winter weather in Texas, I think us folks in the Texas Panhandle and South Plains rural areas have learned to stay prepared for freakish cold spells or be prepared to suffer in silence since we chose to live out here.

[Threerun]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

I feel they have a right to be pissed, I’m not sure what could have been done to prevent this but there are states and countries that see this kind of stuff regularly and nothing like this ever happens. I get that it doesn’t happen here enough to justify planning for but .. something definitely should be done to make sure it never happens again. It seems like failures in winterizing equipment and lack of proper fuel levels.

Temperatures as low as they were without power for heat for days is enough to kill an unprepared human.

From Montana-
I'm really shocked at what has happened to you all. I know severe cold is something you are not accustomed to or prepared for. We get well below 0 temps each year and we do plan for back-up heat not tied to the grid (pellet stove). I have a generator that can run the unit if needed. Thankfully I've only had to rely on that sole source once in 11 years, and that was for only 6 hours.

I encourage people to think 'warm small space' if your heat is out. Stay in an interior room in the home/apt if possible, seal up and cover and windows with blankets and try to congregate there. I've even heard of making makeshift blanket 'tents' in a house to stay warmer- let that body heat do it's thing.

Hopefully they get it sorted out soon, cause it sure sounds like a hell of a mess.

[citidata18]

We were without power for 48 hours straight.

Just got it back 2 hours ago.

[elnina]

OMG - I hate to think that some areas are affected that bad...
https://digg.com/2021/texas-freeze-cold-photos

[Need4Camaro]

As for those bashing on the states ‘Green Energy’, most of our power failures came from failed Coal and Gas, although Green Energy power loss was still sufficient, we would have only been short 5,000 MegaWatts had only our Green Energy failed and none of our Coal / Gas —

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, manages about 90% of the state's power for 26 million customers.

During a news conference Tuesday, representatives from ERCOT said there were 45,000 megawatts offline. Of that, 15,000 megawatts were wind and 30,000 were gas and coal.

Supply fell short by about 34,000 megawatts (MW) of energy, according to ERCOT.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.usa...amp/6764764002

Originally Posted by TamaraSavannah

Be careful what you wish for for I can think of things that can be done so that never happens again.....and they aren't too pleasant.
EDIT:On the lighter side, just was out there in my indoor sweats and outdoor jeans, boots, hat, and field jacket to make an outdoor inspection and a needed repair, if temporary, to the well. Yesterday, it was a blanket of snow; today, it is more slush with the ground melting through.

I’m aware that means increasing prices but it comes down to my issue with how Texas runs things. It’s a very pro-corporate state in the aspect of bringing in corporations with massive tax incentives and bragging on cheap energy and robust infrastructure but the tax to maintain this state is coming out of the common people, their property tax and toll roads. It’s great that we have a strong economy but it definitely doesn’t come for free.

Every state and government has its strengths and weaknesses I suppose. There is no perfect government or way of running things, this is just one of our shortcomings in the grand scheme of things I guess... but it never would have crossed my mind that a storm like this would have caused so much damage to the energy grid and left so many people in nigh peril conditions.

Originally Posted by Threerun

From Montana-
I'm really shocked at what has happened to you all. I know severe cold is something you are not accustomed to or prepared for. We get well below 0 temps each year and we do plan for back-up heat not tied to the grid (pellet stove). I have a generator that can run the unit if needed. Thankfully I've only had to rely on that sole source once in 11 years, and that was for only 6 hours.

I encourage people to think 'warm small space' if your heat is out. Stay in an interior room in the home/apt if possible, seal up and cover and windows with blankets and try to congregate there. I've even heard of making makeshift blanket 'tents' in a house to stay warmer- let that body heat do it's thing.

Hopefully they get it sorted out soon, cause it sure sounds like a hell of a mess.

You’re just as shocked as I am. I lived in Chicago and Seattle, Chicago gets events like this far more regularly, we never even thought to have to prepare for something like this but it is what it is in the end. In general southern states are much more fragile to this kind of weather. I also suffered through something similar in Snowmageddon in Atlanta, although it didn’t take out the power grid, it just logistically crippled us.

Originally Posted by citidata18

We were without power for 48 hours straight.

Just got it back 2 hours ago.

The brought back a considerable chunk of power. Hopefully things will be returning to normal fairly soon.

[elnina]

Originally Posted by Threerun

I know severe cold is something you are not accustomed to or prepared for. We get well below 0 temps each year and we do plan for back-up heat not tied to the grid (pellet stove).

Hopefully they get it sorted out soon, cause it sure sounds like a hell of a mess.

I am upset that we were not told about possible consequences. There are ways to get better prepared: store more water, prepare food that could be eaten cold, buy alcohol or canned heat burners to warm up water to make food for kids or a cup of coffee.
https://youtu.be/5ogtl1bjjkA
We didn't know how badly this state was prepared for the cold weather. We were not informed in advance about possibilities of long lasting power outages and water shortages.
Every time there is a disaster we learn how chaotic everything is handled...
First world country ...

[As Above So Below...]

Lets be honest: what were in right now is a man made disaster. Man made disasters are worse than their natural counterparts. Im reminded of Katrina. The storm was bad, the man made disaster that followed was much worse.

Texas was woefully unprepared for this and ERCOT was both incompetent and too lax. Our state leaders are also to blame for allowing it to get this far.

A lot of people need to be removed because of this.

[ParaguaneroSwag]

Originally Posted by As Above So Below...

Lets be honest: what were in right now is a man made disaster. Man made disasters are worse than their natural counterparts. Im reminded of Katrina. The storm was bad, the man made disaster that followed was much worse.

Texas was woefully unprepared for this and ERCOT was both incompetent and too lax. Our state leaders are also to blame for allowing it to get this far.

A lot of people need to be removed because of this.

I mean this has nothing on Katrina. But I agree that the man Made part makes it worse because it could’ve been avoided. To me what makes it most unique is how it’s state wide in such a big state. You never see things like that happen

[Threerun]

Originally Posted by elnina

I am upset that we were not told about possible consequences. There are ways to get better prepared: store more water, prepare food that could be eaten cold, buy alcohol or canned heat burners to warm up water to make food for kids or a cup of coffee.
https://youtu.be/5ogtl1bjjkA
We didn't know how badly this state was prepared for the cold weather. We were not informed in advance about possibilities of long lasting power outages and water shortages.
Every time there is a disaster we learn how chaotic everything is handled...
First world country ...

The more I read about the energy grid in TX the more I'm dumbfounded. Disassociated from the regional grids? Wow. I guess it's good when it's good, but man. And some of the reports for pricing? HOLY SMOKES!